About the CHER Institute
Building on the lessons learned from the first six years of funding(click to see videos and programing from prior CHER Institutes), the CHER Institute has been expanded to include not only the six-day summer institute and webinar series but also two extended mentoring programs, CHER Scholars and CHER Champions.
As the CHER Institute is federally funded there is no cost to participants for any component of the CHER Institute. Participation does require signing a contract to participate in program evaluation including pretest and follow up surveys for five years after the completion of Institute activities.
Eligibility Criteria for CHER Fellows, Scholars and Champions
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U.S. citizenship or permanent resident status (required by NIH for this R25 funding mechanism)
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Tenure/Tenure-track faculty member status at an eligible institution (individuals from non-MSIs may apply, but priority will be given to those from MSIs)
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Ability to serve as a Principal Investigator at an institution that is eligible to receive federal research funding
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Completion of a terminal research degree or medical residency (whichever date is later) within the past 10 years (excludes CHER Champions)
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No previous NIH funding as the Principal Investigator of an NIH R01 or career development award (K award)
The virtual Summer CHER Institute is comprised of plenary sessions, seminars, small group science chats, mentoring activities, and peer review and networking sessions designed to increase the number of early career faculty members who are better prepared to become NIH principal investigators in the field of community-engaged biomedical research with basic, clinical, or behavioral outcomes to eliminate health disparities among racial/ethnic minority populations; and to increase the quantity and quality of health equity research targeting vulnerable ethnic minority populations developed by CHER Institute participants.
Required: To be selected for the program, the applicant must demonstrate that they:
- Are committed to community-engaged biomedical research with basic, clinical, or behavioral outcomes to eliminate health disparities among racial/ethnic minority populations
- Are able to construct a two-page research prospectus for conducting community-based biomedical research to enhance health equity among underrepresented marginalized populations
- Have experience conducting research and publishing in peer-reviewed journals
- Are willing to sign a contract agreeing to the time commitments involved with the 6-day CHER Institute, and annual data collection
Preferred: The most competitive applicants will also demonstrate:
- Experience conducting research in community-engaged biomedical research
- History of obtaining funding for research (e.g., small or exploratory grants, including state, local, and university grants)
- Experience conducting research in communities with underrepresented minority populations and high levels of health disparities
Plenary session topics include:
- Overview of NIH institutes, the grant application and review process;
- Components of writing a compelling NIH grant proposal,
- Selecting the appropriate qualitative and/or quantitative method(s),
- The basics of experimental designs and bias in experiments;
- Developing a data analysis plan including power analysis,
- Building relationships with faculty mentors with a strong history of NIH funding,
- Addressing barriers and challenges that one may encounter at an MSI for developing and submitting grants to NIH,
- Practical and ethical research considerations,
- Tips and strategies to consider for balancing career, professional development, and life’s journey, and
- Strategies for inclusion of URM in research recruitment in biomedical research
Tracks
While all participants will receive mentor support to develop a Specific Aims section of a grant proposal and a professional development plan, there will be two separate tracks available for participants.
- Track 1 is designed for early career investigators or who can benefit from preparing to develop a manuscript for publication to support their future grant submissions. Participants will be guided to develop an outline for a manuscript using their own pilot data or secondary data.
- Track 2 is designed for early career investigators who are more ready to develop a grant proposal for submission in the near future Participants will be guided to develop an outline for their approach section.
At the start of the CHER Institute, the Faculty Mentor assigned to the participant will review the participant’s level of grant readiness and determine the appropriate track.
Deliverables for the CHER Institute
Institute Preparation
- Submit Biographical Sketch and photo
- Media Release form
- Confidentiality and Nondisclosure Agreement
- Complete Pre-Institute Assessment
- Review Videos on Grant Development
- Submit Literature Review
- Draft of Professional Development Plan
- Draft of Specific Aims
During the Institute
- Complete daily online surveys
- Finalize Professional Development Plan
- Develop Specific Aims Page
- Track 1: Create an outline for a manuscript
- Track 2: Create an outline for proposal approach section
After the Institute
- Complete Post Assessment
- Completion of CHER Institute Annual Survey and submission of CV for up to 5 years post Institute participation
As part of the Extended Mentoring Program, CHER Scholars will receive 6-12 months of support and guidance from an assigned mentor. The program will foster project-based learning experiences. Scholars will continue to work on either their Institute related proposal development and/or a manuscript utilizing their preliminary data or a secondary data set. Those working on a manuscript will do so with the aim of having published work to support their developing grant proposal.
In addition to the general CHER Institute eligibility requirements, the following are the required and preferred criteria for the CHER Scholars.
Required: To be selected for the program, the applicant must demonstrate that they:
- Have completed the 6-day CHER Institute and submitted all deliverables.
- Are willing to sign a contract agreeing to the time commitments involved with the 12-month extended mentoring and annual data collection
Preferred: The most competitive applicants will also demonstrate:
- Ability to utilize mentor feedback to make improvements on their proposal
- Completion of Track 2 in the CHER Institute
- Submit signed contract
- Submit a completed full draft of either a grant proposal (Track 2) or manuscript (Track 1) by the end of the 12-month program.
- Participate in the CHER Institute Webinar Series
- Submit mentoring sessions reports
- Completion of CHER Institute Annual Survey and submission of CV for up to 5 years post Scholars participation
As part of the Writing Retreat, in Spring, CHER Champions will receive support for research to support course buyout, including salary for protected time to conduct research; pilot data expenses; and/or student research assistant. Guidance will be provided for each champion by an assigned CHER Institute faculty mentor.
In addition to the general CHER Institute eligibility requirements the following are the required and preferred criteria for the CHER Champions.
Required: To be selected for the program, the applicant must demonstrate that they:
- Have completed the 6-day 2023 (or later) CHER Institute Track 2 or CHER Institute 2017-2022 and submitted all deliverables
- Are willing to sign a contract agreeing to the time commitments involved with the 6-month writing retreat and annual data collection
Preferred: The most competitive applicant:
- Will have a well-developed research proposal focused on health equity that has potential for submission or resubmission to an identified funding source. The proposal shall include achievable aims, a methods section (appropriate and feasible protocol), and should include a projected plan for dissemination of findings, and next steps.
- Demonstrated ability during the CHER Institute to utilize mentor feedback to make improvements to their proposal
- Will have preliminary data, published works, and/or a well-established literature review on the proposed grant topic
- Submit signed contract
- Complete pre-writing retreat survey
- Submit report after each meeting with mentor
- Participate in the CHER Institute Webinar Series —Optional
- Submit proposal to the CHER Institute leadership team and mentors for a mock review
- Complete post-writing retreat survey
- Submit a new (AO) proposal or a resubmission (A1) for submission to NIH within six months of participating in the Writing Retreat
- Completion of CHER Institute Annual Survey and submission of CV for up to 5 years post Champion participation
The CHER Institute will be hosting webinars 4 times a year for research training and professional development. Please check back to see the webinar schedule. Click here to view the topics presented at the CHER Institute webinars from 2017-2022.
2022-23 Webinars
10 - 11 AM PST
Dr. Daniel SarpongSenior Research Scientist and Executive Director, Office of Health Equity Research
General Internal Medicine, Yale University
Website: https://medicine.yale.edu/profile/daniel_sarpong/
- Learning Objectives —Upon completion of this webinar the learner will have increased knowledge on:What is clinical and translational research;
- What to consider including in the data analysis section of a NIH grant proposal;
- The importance of linking theoretical concepts to the analyses.
Who should register: College or University faculty, particularly new researchers and those at minority-serving institutions, intending to submit an application for funds to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct health equity research.
10 - 11 AM PDT
Dr. Dennis Fortenberry, MD, MS
Professor of Pediatrics
Indiana University School of Medicine
Website: https://medicine.iu.edu/faculty/6500/fortenberry-james
Learning Objectives — Upon completion of this webinar the learner will have:
- Increased knowledge on the importance of randomized trials for NIH level funded studies;
- Increased knowledge for transparency reporting; and
- Recommendations for consolidated standards of reporting trials
Who should register: College or University faculty, particularly new researchers and those at minority-serving institutions, intending to submit an application for funds to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct health equity research.
10 - 11 AM PDT
Dr. David Pollio
Scientific Review Officer
Social and Community Influences Across the Lifecourse (SCIL) Review Branch
Center for Scientific Review
National Institutes of Health
Website: https://public.csr.nih.gov/AboutCSR/StaffDirectory/3202
Learning Objectives — Upon completion of this webinar the learner will have:
- Gain a better understanding of how NIH applications are evaluated
- Learn what really impresses reviewers and apply that knowledge to your future applications
- Understand the benefits of serving as a reviewer
Who should register: College or University faculty, particularly new researchers and those at minority-serving institutions, intending to submit an application for funds to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct health equity research.
The 2023 CHER Institute will be held June 5th-10th, virtually.
The 2023 application period has ended..
Applications for 2024 will be available in Fall, 2023!.
CLICK HERE to learn more or apply or to learn about new opportunities for CHER Institute alumni!
12 - 2 PM PDT
Join us for the Fourth annual CHER Institute Research Spotlight and Social!
Save the date for Friday June 9th 12:00-2:00PM Pacific Time.
Spotlight Link:
https://csulb.zoom.us/j/87994714302
You will have the opportunity to connect with past Institute colleagues and mentors, and you will have the opportunity to welcome a new cohort to the CHER Institute Family! This year we will be Spotlighting the work of:
Michelle M. Vance, PhD, MSW,
North Carolina A &T University, Social Work,
CHER Fellow 2020, will be sharing Culturally Adapted Linking Individuals Need Care (CA-LINC) Project
and,
Isabella Lanza, PhD,
CSULB, Human Development,
CHER Fellow 2019, will be sharing: From CHER Institute to Present: Examining co-occurring health-risk behaviors among young adults.
Looking for Information about the CHER Institute from 2017-2022? Click Here to visit the CHER Institute Archive
The CHER team is here to help you with any questions you may have about the institute and application process. When emailing please Cc: CSULB-CHER@csulb.edu to facilitate quick response if the preferred team member is not available.
For general, application and eligibility questions please contact:
Evaluation and Data Coordinator, Dr. Wendy Nomura : Wendy.Nomura@csulb.edu
For information on Contracts or other agreements please contact:
Program Coordinator Ms. Carol Canjura: Carol.Canjura@csulb.edu
