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WHAT'S NEW!!

New Program to Fund Minority Scholars in Health Disparities

WASHINGTON -- The Center for the Advancement of Health has received a $1.5 million, three-year grant from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation to train a new generation of minority scientists in researching causes of health
disparities and in developing solutions.

The pilot program will award postdoctoral fellowships to minority scholars at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research, the Harvard Center for Society and Health and the Morgan State University Center for Urban Health Assessment, Evaluation and Policy.

The Kellogg grant was announced at the start of the American Public Health
Association's 128th Annual Public Health Exposition in Boston. The theme of the exposition is "Eliminating Health Disparities."

"Health is a precious commodity, an important individual resource and a
valuable public good," said Jessie Gruman, PhD, executive director of the
Center for the Advancement of Health. "But in dealing with whole populations, individual efforts are dwarfed by constant exposure to such powerful problems as poverty, inequality, substandard housing,
blighted and unsafe neighborhoods and inadequate education."

David Williams, PhD, professor of sociology and program site director at
the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, said, "There is a
dramatic need for minority scientists and policy makers not only to be
represented but to take leadership roles in promoting good health and in
developing health and social policy solutions for the 21st century for our
increasingly diverse U.S. population."

The Kellogg scholars, from a variety of disciplines such as economics,
sociology, political science and epidemiology, will be asked to examine the causes of health disparities by race/ethnicity, gender and socioeconomic status and consider policy solutions. When fully in effect after the pilot phase, the Kellogg Foundation Minority Scholars in Health Disparities will study at a number of U.S. sites and collaborate with similar programs in other countries.

With the assistance of the Center for the Advancement of Health and an
advisory committee, each participating site will select two scholars for a
two-year program of research, training and mentoring by site faculty
starting in 2001. The site directors and scholars will also participate in
program orientation, workshops, symposia and electronic communications
coordinated by the Center.

Scholars are eligible for stipends of up to $50,000 a year for two years,
plus fringe benefits and research/travel expenses to attend program
meetings.

For further information and application guidelines, visit the Center for
the Advancement of Health website at www.cfah.org or contact Barbara Krimgold, director of the scholars program, at bkrimgold@cfah.org.

Deadline for receipt of applications is February 1, 2001.