T32GM145470

Cellular and Molecular Biology at Michigan - Project Summary

This application requests support for the new and redesigned Cellular and Molecular Biology Ph.D. program (CMB) at the University of Michigan (UM). The mission of the CMB program is to train a diverse group of scientists to conduct responsible and rigorous research in cellular and molecular biology and to prepare them to be successful in diverse careers in biomedical sciences.

To pursue this mission, CMB will use evidence-based methods to train students in discipline-related and transferable skills via an individualized and structured competency-based curriculum. The program will also train faculty in effective mentoring practices and use systematic evaluation and intervention to continuously improve its inclusive training practices.

Discipline-related training includes foundational coursework and seminars in cell biology, biochemistry, genetics, and quantitative biology. Students will also have broad exposure to research through weekly student seminars, student-organized short courses, an annual research symposium, and an annual retreat. They will gain deep knowledge of an area through rigorous and reproducible research in mentored dissertation projects and experiential learning in a wide range of areas in basic and translational biomedical sciences.

Training in transferable skills ranges from competency-based courses, such as scientific communication, to experiential workshops on leadership offered at the programmatic and institutional levels. Key new elements of the program include competency mapping to courses with a renewed focus on transferable skills and professional development, structured requirements for training in "rigor and reproducibility," "responsible conduct of research," and scientific communication, a guided actionable plan for career development, mentor training for faculty, and an individualized mentoring plan for each student. The program also emphasizes intentional diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts and the addition of formative evaluation strategies for programming.

CMB has strong institutional support from the UM Medical School and from Rackham Graduate School, as well as from individual departments that participate in the program. The faculty in the program are scientifically diverse and well-funded, and the program actively and successfully recruits an outstanding and diverse group of students from a national pool. Approximately 75% of students join via the Umbrella Program in Biomedical Sciences (PIBS), covering 13 biomedical Ph.D. programs, and 25% from the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP).

In this application, we request annual support for 16 trainees, consisting of 8 2nd-year students and 8 3rd-year students. Modern biomedical science has become increasingly collaborative and team-based, and there is a clear need for researchers with an operational knowledge of a wide range of disciplines while holding deep expertise in their focused discipline. As a long-standing interdisciplinary collaboration between 20 departments across 4 colleges, CMB is uniquely positioned to fill this need by training new generations of scientists to collaboratively address fundamental questions in cellular and molecular biology and generate innovative research strategies bridging basic and translational fields to improve human health.

Regents Of The University Of Michigan

THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF GENERAL MEDICAL SCIENCES (NIGMS) SUPPORTS BASIC RESEARCH THAT INCREASES OUR UNDERSTANDING OF BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES AND LAYS THE FOUNDATION FOR ADVANCES IN DISEASE DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT, AND PREVENTION. NIGMS ALSO SUPPORTS RESEARCH IN SPECIFIC CLINICAL AREAS THAT AFFECT MULTIPLE ORGAN SYSTEMS: ANESTHESIOLOGY AND PERI-OPERATIVE PAIN, CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY ?COMMON TO MULTIPLE DRUGS AND TREATMENTS, AND INJURY, CRITICAL ILLNESS, SEPSIS, AND WOUND HEALING.? NIGMS-FUNDED SCIENTISTS INVESTIGATE HOW LIVING SYSTEMS WORK AT A RANGE OF LEVELSFROM MOLECULES AND CELLS TO TISSUES AND ORGANSIN RESEARCH ORGANISMS, HUMANS, AND POPULATIONS. ADDITIONALLY, TO ENSURE THE VITALITY AND CONTINUED PRODUCTIVITY OF THE RESEARCH ENTERPRISE, NIGMS PROVIDES LEADERSHIP IN SUPPORTING THE TRAINING OF THE NEXT GENERATION OF SCIENTISTS, ENHANCING THE DIVERSITY OF THE SCIENTIFIC WORKFORCE, AND DEVELOPING RESEARCH CAPACITY THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.

93.859 - Biomedical Research and Research Training

National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) [HHS - NIH]

Michigan United States

State-Wide

National Institute of General Medical Sciences Institutional Predoctoral Research Training Grant (T32 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed) (PAR-20-213)

Amendment Since initial award the total obligations have increased 310% from $832,579 to $3,413,131.