NIMHD-C-SALUD

The Center for Substance Use and HIV/AIDS Research on Latinos in the United States

CRUSADA houses a National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) P20 Exploratory Center of Excellence grant titled The Center for Substance Use and HIV/AIDS Research on Latinos in the United States (C-SALUD; P20MD002288; PI: De La Rosa)

The activities of this grant are structured into four different cores:

    1. The Administrative Core is the key liaison with NIH. It has been designed and structured to support the grant management, direction, coordination, integration, and oversight that is essential to carrying out the grant activities of the Center in a timely and efficient manner and in accordance with NIH requirements.
    1. The Research Core provides the long-term infrastructure support that will facilitate and guide community oriented multidisciplinary research initiatives at FIU. This research is directed towards eliminating substance abuse and HIV health disparities among Latinos, particularly those residing in Miami-Dade County.
    1. The Research Education/Training Core is designed to (a) increase the number of researchers and professionals from racial/ethnic minority and medically underserved populations trained in behavioral research and (b) improve the quality of the training provided to behavioral researchers conducting research on health disparities in HIV/AIDS and substance abuse in Latino populations. Its specific objectives are (1) To develop a cadre of doctoral students at Florida International University who will conduct behavioral research on the nature and extent of the HIV/AIDS and substance abuse epidemics among the Latino population in the United States; (2) To support the career development of postdoctoral trainees at FIU conducting behavioral research on health disparities in HIV/AIDS and substance abuse; and (3) To provide training to community leaders on the conduct of research in HIV/AIDS and substance abuse in Latino populations and to develop their general research skills.
  1. The Community Partnership/Engagement Core is designed to continue collaborative relationships between the Center, FIU, community-based agencies, and the community itself. The Core’s overall aim is to establish innovative partnerships between FIU and community organizations for the purpose of improving the health status of Latinos, and in particular Latina women, leading to the reduction and/or elimination of HIV and substance abuse health disparities confronting this population.