In September 2009, Savannah State University, the oldest public, historically black college/university in the State of Georgia, was awarded a $4 million Research Infrastructure for Minority Institutions (RIMI) grant from the NIH Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCMHD). The RIMI grant's primary objective is to strengthen SSU's biomedical/behavioral science research infrastructure, with a focus on health disparities. The RIMI grant serves the mission of the NCMHD by strengthening the research capacity and infrastructure of SSU to promote minority health research. Major program goals are to develop junior faculty to become independent investigators who will contribute to eliminating health disparities; strengthen and enhance the shared core labs for biomedical and behavioral science research; provide quality undergraduate research training; and implement curriculum enhancements in health sciences fields. These initiatives and capacity building will increase the production of well-trained underrepresented minorities in biomedical/behavior science research fields who will contribute to the scientific knowledge base and help to address the health disparities of minority communities including those in the Savannah, Georgia region.

New research projects approved for funding by NIH.

In February 10, 2012, the NIH National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities approved the following new projects to be conducted as part of the RIMI program:

Identifying Risk Factors Contributing to Obesity in Chatham Co., GA Neighborhoods, PI Dr. Sujin Kim and Dr. Deden Rukmana, February 2012 – February 2014

Exploring Employment as a Cause of Health Disparities and Means for Intervention, PI Dr. Tamara Friedrich, February 2012 – February 2013.