G-RISE at Meharry Medical College

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The Meharry G-RISE program is designed to address the lack of diversity within all facets of the United Stated biomedical research workforce by significantly increasing the number of minority students pursuing biomedical and behavioral sciences research careers. Meharry Medical College has a strong record of graduating PhDs in

biomedical science disciplines, many of whom obtain positions in academic institutions, government or industry where they continue the tradition of teaching, research and service that is a part of our mission. The College as a whole has a proven commitment to educating underrepresented minorities (URM). Since 1972, the Graduate

School has awarded 307 PhDs in Biomedical Sciences. Therefore, it has a proven record of preparing students for research careers with a strong focus in diseases that disproportionally affect minorities. The Meharry G-RISE program will build upon the success of our current RISE program, which has supported 188 students since 1999

and to date graduated 108 PhDs with degrees in biomedical science. This G-RISE program will allow us, together with other programs at Meharry, to provide the infrastructure and activities needed to continue to graduate more minorities in biomedical and behavioral sciences at the doctoral level. The overall mission of the Meharry G-

RISE program is to provide PhD students within the School of Graduate Studies and Research at Meharry Medical College with the knowledge and expertise needed to pursue research careers in academia, industry or other alternative career venues. Three specific aims are proposed in the current G-RISE application: 1) To

provide excellent training in biomedical research to URM students that emphasizes critical thinking, data science and collaborative/team science approaches and allows for completion of PhD degree requirements within a timely fashion; 2) To strengthen written and oral communication skills and provide professional skills training to

program trainees; 3) To create a supportive training environment by promoting healthy mentor/mentee relationships. The proposed program will support a cohort of 8 PhD trainees each year for five years, appointing each trainee for 2 to 3-years. A set of well-defined activities has been developed to help transition PhD students

into research careers in biomedical sciences. These activities include multidisciplinary, rigorous research training opportunities with faculty committed to the success of URM students and specialty courses such as Advances in Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics. Student training will be enhanced by the opportunity to complete a

certificate program in Biomedical Data Science. Trainees will also participate in a robust career development curriculum that prepares them for postdoctoral positions and ultimately a variety of careers within the biomedical research workforce. Program outcomes will include an increase in the number of PhD students that complete

degree requirements in a timely fashion and a more diverse pool of well-trained biomedical scientists with the technical, operational and professional skills needed for career success.