Navajo Nation Research Infrastructure Enhancement Project
Official title: Navajo NARCH - Research Infrastructure Enhancement Project
Funded at Dine' College · NIH-11415671 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A Navajo Nation project aims to strengthen how Diné College and partners manage health research data and IRB processes to better protect and benefit Diné communities.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Dine' College NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Tsaile, United States) |
| Project start | September 9, 2025 |
| Project end | July 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $251,055 |
| NIH project number | 5S06GM159291-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11415671 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable to a specific patient group; this grant strengthens research processes that could later support studies involving Navajo individuals and communities.
✕Less likely to help
The grant itself does not offer direct medical treatment or services to individual patients.
What this research studies
This grant supports building and strengthening the data systems, governance, and IRB review capacity used to study health topics within the Navajo Nation. It focuses on improving how research is planned, reviewed, and data is stored and shared, with an emphasis on community sovereignty and ethical oversight. By enhancing infrastructure at Diné College and collaborating with the Navajo Nation Human Research Review Board, the project seeks to create sustainable capacity for responsible health research that could inform community health decisions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Improved research governance and data infrastructure could lead to faster, more trustworthy health insights for Navajo communities.
How similar studies have gone: There is a history of tribal IRBs and community-led health research, with growing recognition of the value of robust governance; this project builds on that foundation.
Where this research is happening
-
Dine' College
Tsaile, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dickerson, Christopher J — Dine' College
- Study coordinator: Dickerson, Christopher J
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.