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

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

Now accepting applications for Summer 2025. Deadline to apply is Friday, January 10th, 2025.

Interested doctoral applicants, please contact Robert Palestina (rpalesti@tulane.edu) before beginning the application process.

Recording of the ARMHR 2025 Info Session from October 22, 2024

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 students in doctoral and master's degree programs. ARMHR also has a 12-month research training program for a limited number of PhD candidates. Training slots in each category are conditioned on availability of funds, and number of positions vary from year to year. 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: 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.

Examples of Research Projects from Former Trainees:
Research Topic: Exploring the Impact of Family Support and Stress Mitigation on Alcohol Consumption Patterns
Site: Kenya
Trainee Degree Level: MPH

Research Topic: Relationship between Childhood Parental Incarceration and Chlamydia Risk among Young Black Men in a Southern US City
Site: New Orleans
Trainee Degree Level: MPH

Research Topic: Associations Between Latent Socio-Demographic Risk Factors and Adverse Pregnancy and Birth Outcomes: An Analysis of Louisiana Birth Certificates
Site: New Orleans
Trainee Degree Level: PhD

Research Topic: Applying an Intersectional Approach and Human-Centered Design Methods to Address Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health among Afro-Descendants in Peru
Site: Peru
Trainee Degree Level: PhD

Program Contacts