Minority Health and Health Disparities International Research Training (MHIRT) Program at the University of Hawaii

Abstract

The objective of the Minority Health International Research Training (MHIRT) program at the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UHM) is to encourage students from under represented (including minority) backgrounds to pursue careers in science; and expose students to biomedical, clinical, and behavioral health research and global health issues that relate to health disparities. The program also aims to enable collaborations between colleges/universities and international research programs. Funded by the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), National Institutes of Health (NIH), the UHM MHIRT program is in its sixth year. The MHIRT program is a short-term international research training opportunity offered to undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, and pre-doctoral students from under-represented backgrounds. MHIRT students are from various academic disciplines at UH and have diverse ethnic backgrounds. To date, the MHIRT program has trained six (6) cohorts of students totaling 60 students. Selected students learn to conduct research during the spring semester and spend 8-9 weeks during the summer at their international training sites under the guidance of their assigned in-country mentor and their UH mentor. In addition to life-changing research and cultural experiences program benefits include: up to10 credits of directed research courses in the spring and summer semesters and while abroad students are provided with a stipend, travel, and living expenses.