Established in 1998, the MSM PRC is an academic, community based research center funded by the CDC and governed by a Community Coalition Board (CCB).
MSM's Prevention Research Center (PRC) was established in 1998. MSM PRC is one of a network of academic research centers funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to achieve local and national health objectives focused on gaining knowledge about the best methodologies for solving the nation's obstinate health problems. These centers engage in interdisciplinary applied prevention research in collaboration with community partners; federal, state and local health and education agencies; and other universities.
The theme of the PRC is: Risk Reduction and Early Detection in African American and Other Minority Communities: Coalition for Prevention Research.
Since its inception, MSM PRC has worked cooperatively with the communities in which its research is being conducted. The formation of MSM PRC Community Coalition Board included a majority of representatives from these communities. The Board directs the research agenda and PRC activities. The research focus of MSM PRC includes: reduction of HIV risk behavior, cancer prevention, youth violence prevention and reduction, adolescent health promotion, men's health promotion, environmental health, and cardiovascular disease prevention.
MSM PRC strongly holds to the applied definition of community-based research that is: dynamic; "tailor-made;" focuses on prevention; establishes partnerships between communities and research entities; develops improved interventions that are racially and culturally focused, as well as gender, age, and geographically sensitive; and establishes more effective health policies addressing health disparities.
To advance scientific knowledge in the field of prevention in African American and other minority communities and to disseminate new information and strategies of prevention.
We engage in conducting, translating, disseminating, and evaluating community-based participatory research.We are adept in:
• generating new, culturally sensitive approaches to reduce and eliminate racial and ethnic disparities;
• training minority community-based researchers and public health practitioners; and
• building/supporting community capacities to identify, implement, and evaluate research and service projects targeting identified health priorities.
Our belief is that the community is at the heart of what we do and is the “senior partner” in our research.We have a valued Community Coalition Board that is at the forefront of establishing policy, creating the MSM PRC research agenda, and ensuring that our research is translatable and engaging for all communities.
