Cherokee narch, native american research centers for health (narch)

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke awarded Cherokee Nation $100,000 on August 15, 2026, under the Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders program (CFDA 93.853) to strengthen research capacity and career pathways within the Cherokee Nation, the largest tribal nation by population in the United States.

Cherokee Nation, in partnership with the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, and University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, will develop administrative infrastructure through a leadership team and tribal-campus advisory committee; educate the next generation of tribally engaged researchers through career enhancement activities targeting undergraduate and health professions students; build tribal research capacity in autism spectrum disorder research; conduct innovative research seeding future projects led by investigators working within the Cherokee Nation context; and evaluate all partnership activities. The award funds the Cherokee NARCH (Native American Research Centers for Health) mechanism, which addresses the shortage of scientists conducting tribally engaged research aimed at alleviating health disparities affecting tribal members in northeastern Oklahoma.

The period of performance runs from the award date through July 31, 2031. Work is performed in Tahlequah, Oklahoma 74464.

Abstract

Significant health challenges continue to impact tribal nations, yet there remains a severe shortage of scientists conducting tribally engaged research aimed at alleviating health disparities affecting members of tribal nations. For several years, cherokee nation (CN), the university of oklahoma health sciences center (ouhs), and the oklahoma state university college of osteopathic medicine (OSU-COM) at CN have partnered to address this issue by building tribal research capacity through the native american research centers for health (narch) mechanism. In the current funding cycle, the partnership among CN, ouhs, and OSU-COM continues to support research and career enhancement activities. Additionally, the university of arkansas for medical sciences (uams) has joined cherokee narch as a new research partner. The overall mission of cherokee narch is to develop a durable research capacity and career enhancement pathways within the largest tribal nation by population in the united states, thereby improving the health of the tribal population in northeastern oklahoma. To achieve this goal, the five specific aims of cherokee narch are: 1) to strengthen administrative infrastructure, including a leadership team (LT) and a tribal-campus advisory committee (tcac), ensuring the integration of career enhancement, research infrastructure, and research activities; 2) to educate the next generation of researchers who can engage in tribally relevant research in partnership with CN, focusing on undergraduate, and health professions students; 3) to build tribal research capacity by developing infrastructure to support autism spectrum disorder (ASD) research, a growing concern among tribal citizens receiving care at cnhs; 4) to conduct innovative research that seeds future projects led by investigators working within the cherokee nation context; and; 5) to evaluate all partnership activities, including monitoring student career progression, infrastructure and capacity-building efforts, research project outcomes, and the overall effectiveness of the cherokee nation narch program. Cherokee narch provides a critical opportunity to solidify the foundation for tribal capacity in health research. The combined strengths of ouhs and OSU-COM at CN in career enhancement significantly strengthen this application, as both institutions have demonstrated success in collaborating with CN and in training students interested in tribal research and healthcare, including through the establishment of the first tribally affiliated medical school in the united states at OSU-COM at CN. The addition of uams as a research partner further expands the scope and expertise of the collaboration. Cherokee narch thus offers an unprecedented environment in which a tribal nation and three research-intensive universities, two of which, ouhs and OSU-COM at CN, serve large numbers of tribally enrolled students, will work synergistically to improve the health of the tribal population served by cherokee nation.