The University of North Texas Health Science Center is the recipient of a $10 million federal research endowment to study the health disparities impacting ethnic, racial, rural, and economically disadvantaged populations in the U.S. The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities awards the endowments, which are paid over five years. UNTHSC is one of just two institutions nationally to get it.
The endowment was put in place in 2001 by Congress to help out institutions committed to disparities research. The money goes toward scientists and students rather than the research projects themselves.
Fort Worth-based UNTHSC lists its priorities for the endowment as follows:
• Develop an Interdisciplinary Research Leadership Program in health disparities for junior faculty.
• Establish a Health, Education, Awareness and Research in Disparities (HEARD) scholarship program for the recruitment and retention of diverse faculty.
• Increase the diversity of the biomedical, behavioral and clinical research workforce by supporting stipends for PhD students each year to conduct research in minority health and health disparities.
