Tulane Program to Advance Representation in Minority Health Research (Tulane ARMHR)

(Formerly Tulane-Xavier Minority Health International Research Training/MHIRT)

We are no longer accepting Summer 2024 applications. Please reach out to rpalesti@tulane.edu if you are interested in submitting a 12-month program application.

Program Description: The Tulane Program to Advance Representation in Minority Health Research (Tulane ARMHR) builds on the foundation of the Tulane-Xavier MHIRT Program to provide mentored research training experiences to graduate students from groups that are underrepresented in biomedical, behavioral, and social science research, including minority groups based on race/ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation, and socio-economic disparities.

Each year, ARMHR provides 12-week summer research training experiences to two doctoral students and for four master's degree students. ARMHR also has a 12-month research training program for two PhD candidates. ARMHR scholars work with experienced faculty mentors on projects related to minority health and health disparities in the New Orleans area, other domestic sites, or in an international site affiliated with collaborative research projects led by program faculty in Peru, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Sierra Leone, or Kenya. Trainee research plans will be tailored to the primary research agendas at each site, based on active funded research programs. This program is sponsored by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities of the National Institutes of Health.

Program Eligibility: The Tulane ARMHR Program is limited to graduate students enrolled in masters or doctoral level training programs in the New Orleans area. Doctoral candidates must be enrolled in a program based in the Tulane SPHTM. Undergraduate students are not eligible. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents with a GPA of 3.0 or higher in all classwork to date.

The applicant is ineligible if listed as a trainee on any other federal training grant (e.g., training programs funded by U.S. government agencies such as NIH, CDC, NSF, etc.).

Applicants must qualify as a member of a population group historically affected by health disparities that are underrepresented in the current biomedical, behavioral, clinical, and social science workforce. Groups eligible for consideration include:

• Racial and ethnic minority populations in the U.S., including African-Americans and Hispanic Americans (Latinxs). Certain Asian-American groups, such as Vietnamese-Americans, are also eligible.
• Individuals who identify as LGBTQIA.
• Individuals with physical disabilities.
• Individuals from rural areas.
• Individuals who are the first in their families to attend college.

Program Schedule: Applications for the 12-week program are due in February for research training experiences starting the following June. Applications for the 12-month program are on a rolling basis. Below is an overview of the program schedule. We will provide trainees with a more detailed program itinerary after acceptance.

• Workshop Series: From the time of program acceptance until the start of research training experiences, participants enrolled in the short-term training programs. These workshops are designed to prepare scholars for independent research projects and future careers in health research.
• 12-week Training experience: The full-time research experience begins at the end of Spring semester. Research training experiences are a full-time commitment (not performed concurrently with coursework or employment). Participants receive a stipend during this period.
• Final presentation: At the end of their 12-week experience, scholars will present their research findings to their ARMHR cohort, program directors, and mentors. This presentation will also be open to prospective applicants who would like to learn more about the program.

Training Sites: ARMHR places our participants in both local domestic training sites and international sites. Applicants interested in international training may apply for opportunities in one of five approved sites, including Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Peru, Sierra Leone, and Kenya. Training in other international sites is not supported. At each site, Tulane faculty are paired with overseas faculty who mentor Tulane ARMHR students during their research experiences.

The Tulane ARMHR Program covers all major expenses for participating scholars, including airfare, housing for participants matched with international training sites, or sites that require temporary relocation to another city, research supplies, and costs related to pre-travel planning and counseling. Additionally, the ARMHR Program provides sharing experiences with other trainees upon returning to the U.S. and supporting opportunities for students to publish their research and/or present their research findings at national conferences.

Program Contacts