Penn State’s College of Medicine has been awarded a two-year, $3.3 million grant by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The purpose of the grant is to establish a national hub that serves as the coordinating center for the Multi-Sectoral Preventive Interventions (MSPI) Research Network.

MSPI is part of NIH’s research to help populations that experience health disparities.

Vernon Chinchilli and Jennifer Kraschnewski, both Penn State public health science professors, will be running the new center. Kraschnewski is also the director of the Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute.

Research teams at the center will focus on causes of potential health disparities, including neighborhoods and environments, and test preventative interventions.

“Our center will bring together researchers, clinicians and research networks across the nation to streamline data sharing, harmonize methodologies and maximize the impact of collaborative science,” Chinchilli said in a release.

Chinchilli says that the award emphasizes the NIH’s awareness of the much-needed prevention of health problems brought about by environments and social settings.

The center will build a data system that allows research findings to be shared, connect researchers across multiple NIH projects, and facilitate a peer-to-peer learning community.

Some projects they will focus on include overdose prevention in supportive housing, nutrition enhancement, research behind meal program initiatives in communities, and more.

“We are honored to lead this effort. By centralizing coordination and empowering researchers with Penn State’s consultative expertise for high-quality data support as well as community resources, we can enhance research progress and impact,” Kraschnewski said in a release.

To learn more about the center and the projects behind it, read the full release here.