Ben Fogelgren, PhD, Core Director
Sandra Chang, PhD, Associate Core Director
The primary objective of the Research Capacity Core (RCC) is to enhance the quality and productivity of health disparities and health-related research in Hawaii through world-class research facilities and services. To meet this objective, the RCC will strategically coordinate research resources and expertise to directly support the Ola HAWAII research projects and pilot projects, as well as provide exceptional training and services to the larger biomedical research community. The Ola HAWAII RCC will be structured with six support facilities for Data Science, Biostatistics, Behavioral Research, Clinical Research, Histopathology, and Regulation and Compliance as well as a new career development resource, the Research Studio Program.
Through user-driven customized services, the RCC will provide exceptional technical support to research addressing the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases that disproportionately affect Hawaii’s underrepresented ethnic minority populations. A proactive outreach strategy to Hawaii’s larger research community will allow RCC to both increase its user base and link Ola HAWAII-supported investigators with other faculty at UH and beyond to enhance health disparities research collaborations. With its education and training programs, the RCC will support the career development of researchers, particularly new and early-stage investigators from underrepresented backgrounds. These programs will include an innovative Research Studio Program offering individualized, expert consultation for investigators on research project development, implementation, and outcomes. To execute our action plan, the RCC has assembled an exceptional leadership team with deep research experience and technical expertise and has garnered broad institutional and community support.
In all these activities, the RCC will work closely with the Community Engagement Core (CEC) and Investigator Development Core (IDC), as well as the Administrative Core (AC), to achieve the overall Ola HAWAII objective of leading and advancing minority health and health disparities research in Hawaii. Additionally, the RCC will collaborate with the national RCMI Coordinating Center to make national RCMI resources and services available to Hawaii researchers, and to help make University of Hawaii resources and services available to faculty and scholars from other RCMI U54 Centers.
The RCC Research Studio program to provides individualized research consultations for new and early stage investigators. For information on this program, go to the RCC Research Studio webpage:
- Research Studio Program, RCC Associate Director Sandra Chang, PhD
The RCC Core Bucks program is a focused opportunity to provide support to biomedical researchers investigating minority health and health disparities in Hawaii. The program will provide limited funding (up to $5000) for basic, translational, clinical, or behavioral research projects to utilize services or resources from the Research Capacity Core’s six Support Facilities.
- Core Bucks Program, RCC Director Ben Fogelgren, PhD
More about the individual cores is available at each of their websites:
- Clinical Research Support Facility, Director Cecilia Shikuma MD
- Behavioral Research Support Facility, Director Jack Barile PhD
- Biostatistics Support Facility, Director Hyeong Jun Ahn PhD
- Data Science Support Facility, Director Youping Deng PhD
- Histopathology Support Facility, Director Mariana Gerschenson PhD
- Regulatory & Compliance Support Facility, Director Venkatarman Balaraman MD
Potential Ola Hawaii investigators should request resources or consultations from the facilities by using the Request for Resources online form.
The charges for utilizing each facility’s resources should be discussed with the respective Facility/Core Director. The following re-charge algorithm is provided as a general guideline only and may be different for each Facility/Core:
| Ola Hawaii FUNDED research projects | No charge or at cost |
| Projects led by Junior Researchers as PIs (Assistant Professor below) who currently receive pilot funding from other infrastructure grants | 25% of full price |
| Health disparity pilot studies with Senior Researchers as PIs | 50% of full price |
| Fully funded Investigators; Pharmaceutical Studies | Full price |