Jackson State University has been selected by RTI International, a nonprofit research institute, to serve in the second group of Institutional Champions for the All of Us Researcher Academy. As part of the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) All of Us Research Program, the academy provides capacity building, training, technical assistance, and peer-to-peer learning for health researchers using the All of Us Researcher Workbench.
In 2020, RTI received a five-year award from NIH to participate in a national consortium of organizations supporting the All of Us Research Program. The mission of All of Us is to accelerate health research and medical breakthroughs, enabling individualized prevention, treatment, and care for all.
To make this possible, All of Us is building one of the largest, most diverse health databases of its kind, engaging at least one million participants who reflect the diversity of the U.S., particularly from communities historically underrepresented in biomedical research. Data shared by participants will help drive innovation in health care and help scientists understand how genes, health practices and environmental exposures can impact health and illness.
“We are thankful for being a part of the second cohort of Institutional Champions. Our continued partnership with RTI will lead to other great opportunities for our faculty and students,” said ConSandra McNeil, Ph.D., assistant provost at JSU. “The faculty selected are multidisciplinary and are sure to serve as leaders and mentors in using the All of Us data.”
The second group includes Fayetteville State University, Fisk University, Meharry Medical College, Morehouse School of Medicine, and Shaw University. Additionally, as a part of JSU’s award, researchers from Coahoma Community College will participate in academy activities.
“I thank Dr. McNeil for her leadership in this partnership,” said Alisa Mosley, Ph.D., provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs at JSU. “RTI will be a formidable partner as we establish Jackson State’s footprint in environmental justice. The project is mission-centric, and we look forward to having another avenue to execute the university mission and serve our community.”
Funding dispersed to Researcher Academy institutions will support faculty and staff use of the All of Us Researcher Workbench, the secure, cloud-based platform where researchers can access the All of Us dataset. Each institution will support researchers for a year and can welcome visiting students and faculty from other HBCUs to participate in activities that increase capacity to analyze the All of Us dataset.
“We are excited to welcome the second group of Institutional Champions to the All of Us Researcher Academy. The training, technical assistance and peer-to-peer learning offered through the academy will ensure that researchers at HBCUs are included in the scientific community and specifically biomedical research,” said Dr. Sula Hood, who co-leads the academy with Dr. Brian Southwell, in a release earlier this month.
RTI leads the All of Us Researcher Academy in collaboration with the All of Us Research Program’s Division of Engagement and Outreach. The division partners with community organizations nationwide to foster relationships with participants, researchers and health care providers. The academy and other researcher engagement activities are central to building a diverse community of researchers. There are now more than 6,400 All of Us registered researchers from all career stages, institution types, backgrounds, and experiences.
RTI’s partner in developing this stage of the All of Us Researcher Academy is Community-Campus Partnerships for Health.
