performance and the typical arguments for diversity often lead to "pigeonholing" of minority health professions faculty. Because minority faculty are vastly underrepresented in most medical schools, many engage in diversity-related activities, such as institutional committees, speaking engagements, external advisory boards, community service, and other activities related to promoting diversity. 40 In addition, minority faculty may be positioned to take on excessive mentorship responsibilities, at times mentoring students who have great social and academic needs. 13 These activities may place undue burdens on minority faculty, making it difficult for them to develop a strong research program and possibly impeding their faculty development and academic promotion. In addition to these burdens, a report commissioned by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) on processes related to government-sponsored cancer research and minority health issues illuminated significant findings related to minority investigators' perceptions of their experiences competing for research grants. 41 Minority scientists reported aspects of the peer-review and priority-setting processes to be "problematic" for issues related to minority and medically underserved populations. Minorities are underrepresented among investigators with National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grants. In 2002, blacks and Hispanic Americans constituted 0.8% and 2.3%, respectively, of investigators receiving research program funds from the NIH. 42 Lack of research funds impedes the ability of minority health professions schools to support research, young investigators, and graduate students. Minority-serving institutions are colleges and universities that are committed in their mission to supporting URM students in attaining higher education, that have a high enrollment of minorities (usually above