Research Education Institute for Diverse Scholars (REIDS)

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Research Education Institute for Diverse Scholars (REIDS) at CIRA
Research Method:
Principal Investigator: Jean J. Schensul, Ph.D.
Grant: NIMH No. R25 MH087217-01A1
Dates of Study:

Background
The demographics of the HIV epidemic indicate a disproportionate rate of infection and transmission among racially and economically disadvantaged groups. Studies show that HIV prevalence in impoverished urban areas is significantly higher than in the general population. Estimates from the Centers for Disease Control show that the rate of AIDS diagnoses for Black adults and adolescents is 10 times the rate for White peers. The rate of new AIDS diagnoses among Latino men is three times that of White men. Yet research scientists from groups and communities most impacted by HIV/AIDS remain significantly underrepresented among funded HIV researchers.

REIDS is a research education institute developed by ICR's Senior Scientist and Founding Director Jean J. Schensul, Ph.D., Barbara Guthrie, Ph.D., and Merrill Singer, Ph.D. as a way to address the documented shortage of newly funded HIV/AIDS researchers from underrepresented groups.

The $1.3 million research partnership between ICR, Yale School of Nursing, and the University of Connecticut's Center for Health, Intervention, and Prevention is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health.

Project Goals and Objectives

To
	Address the shortage of funded HIV/AIDS researchers from underrepresented groups.
	Create a pipline of scientists with an interest in community-based research with an emphasis on addressing HIV inequities in communities of color.

Project Details
The REIDS program aims to equip scholars from underrepresented racial, ethnic, disabled and other disadvantaged groups with the knowledge, skills and experience needed to become successful HIV researchers.

Scholars will benefit from a combination of sustained mentorship, a summer institute - involving a classroom-based curriculum - applied learning in community settings, and an opportunity to design and conduct pilot projects. Four new scholars will be recruited each year, selected for their interest in community-based research and HIV disparities.

Staff Contact:
Jean J. Schensul, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator

(860) 278-2044 ext. 227

University of Connecticut Center for Health, Intervention and Prevention

Merrill Singer, Ph.D.

Yale School of Nursing

Barbara Guthrie, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N.