Project Description 

The major goal of the Advancement in Research Initiative is to work, in close collaboration with the different institutional research units within and outside the University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, to develop the infrastructure to support high quality research, manage research resources and disseminate research-related information. This goal will be achieved by:

1. establishing an infrastructure service unit that will provide support services that facilitate data analysis, editing of scientific publications and proposals, protection of intellectual property as well as dissemination of diversified funding opportunities to the research community.
   
2. coordinating and maximizing the use of shared instrumentation, create a research resources database, and maintaining up-to-date communications services to initiate and/or expand collaborations and partnerships.
   
3. developing a faculty and technical research development program that will establish a mechanism to reward research success; promoting health disparities research,; training young faculty and graduate students in the bioethical and survival skills necessary to be successful in a research career, and generating a comprehensive database of local successful investigators and potential collaborators.
   

In summary, the Advancement in Research Initiative coordinates and provides, in an integrated manner, services and resources that enable the researchers to more rapidly initiate or productively continue an active research agenda.