Program Overview

A new iteration of the Native Elder Research Center (NERC) that has been continually funded since its inception in 1998, CHANGE will continue to increase the diversity of investigators conducting research with Native populations in the US. We maintain an 18-month cycle, draw on long- established best practices, offer innovative solutions to improvements identified by former NERC Faculty and Scientists, integrate a community-based approach, and expand our diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility platform to create a culture of inclusiveness and support for 9 diverse early-career faculty (3 per cycle).

CHANGE is led by multiple principal investigators Denise Dillard, PhD (Inupiaq Eskimo), at Washington State University, and Julie Baldwin, PhD (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma), at Northern Arizona University. Together, they co-lead the Leadership and Administrative Core. The Research Education Component is led by Lucy Hebert, PhD, at Washington State University; and the Analysis Core is led by Richard MacLehose, PhD, at University of Minnesota, and supported by Luciana Hebert, PhD, at Washington State University. Gary Ferguson, ND (Unangax̂/Aleut), at Washington State University, leads Community Integration activities to embed community engagement and education into the Pilot Studies and all aspects of CHANGE, upholding our commitment to principles of participatory research. CHANGE also features several additional mentors: Clemma Muller, PhD, MS, at Washington State University; Scott Okamoto, PhD, a current RCMAR Mentor, at University of Hawai’i at Mānoa; and Mandy Fretts, PhD (Eel Ground First Nation), at University of Washington.