Evaluation of the Minority Research Infrastructure Support Program and the Building Research Infrastructure and Capacity Program

AIR evaluated two of programs of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality that are designed to increase minority participation in health care research: the Minority Research Infrastructure Support Program (M-RISP) and the Building Research Infrastructure and Capacity (BRIC) Program. These programs are intended to expand and strengthen health care research programs at academic institutions that train and employ minority investigators and that do not receive significant Federal research funding. We determined the extent to which, and ways in which, program grantees had both strengthened their institutional research infrastructures and enhanced the capabilities of their individual faculty and staff members to conduct health services research.  Findings will enable AHRQ to determine the effectiveness of these programs in reaching their objectives and to modify the programs to improve their effectiveness.