OBJECTIVE: To introduce a human capital approach to reduce health disparities in South Carolina by increasing the number and quality of trained minority professionals in public health practice and research. METHODS: The conceptual basis and elements of Project EXPORT in South Carolina are described. Project EXPORT is a community based participatory research (CBPR) translational project designed to build human capital in public health practice and research. This project involves Claflin University (CU), a Historically Black College University (HBCU) and the African American community of Orangeburg, South Carolina to reduce health disparities, utilizing resources from the University of South Carolina (USC), a level 1 research institution to build expertise at a minority serving institution. The elements of Project EXPORT were created to advance the science base of disparities reduction, increase trained minority researchers, and engage the African American community at all stages of research. CONCLUSION: Building upon past collaborations between HBCU's in South Carolina and USC, this project holds promise for a public health human capital approach to reduce health disparities.