Author: Mercedes Rubio

Headshot of Mercedes Rubio.

Mercedes oversees the Institute’s predoctoral basic biomedical training programs, which includes the Medical Scientist Training Program. She also manages the Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (T32), scientific conference grants (R13), and the National Research Mentoring Network.

Posts by Mercedes Rubio

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Funding Opportunity: Research on Behavioral Interventions That Promote Careers in the Biomedical Research Enterprise

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We’re pleased to announce that our Research on Interventions That Promote the Careers of Individuals in the Biomedical Research Enterprise notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) has been reissued under a new name: B-INSPIRE, short for Research on Behavioral INterventionS That Promote Careers In the Biomedical Research Enterprise (R01) (PAR-24-230). The new name better reflects the goal of this program: to test theoretically based behavioral interventions that enhance research-oriented individuals’ interest, motivation, persistence, and preparedness for careers in the biomedical research workforce.

Applicants must propose an intervention that tests effectiveness using robust experimental designs, such as randomized control trial approaches, case controls, or matched pair design, appropriate to performing rigorous research on effective interventions aiming to increase success in the biomedical research workforce. Possible areas for the intervention include but are not limited to training, mentoring, and networking; navigating critical transition points; institutional factors that influence persistence; harassment; and barriers to participation. The intervention should be cost-effective, practical, realistic, scalable, and sustainable at a broad range of institutions.

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New NIGMS Resource: Trainee Feedback Form

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We’re pleased to announce the creation of an online form for trainees to share feedback on NIGMS research education, training, and career development programs. We value this input as NIGMS refines its existing programs and develops new opportunities to meet emerging needs in biomedical research training.

The form, which can be completed anonymously, allows trainees to submit constructive comments—for example, to suggest program improvements or to recognize an outstanding program for its training and mentorship activities. NIGMS welcomes submissions from trainees across all educational and career stages.

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Individual Fellowship and Career Development Programs Supported by NIGMS

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As graduate students and postdoctoral scholars, you may find yourself searching for opportunities to support the current or next stage of your research training. NIGMS has a long history of fostering research training and developing a strong biomedical research workforce through a variety of programs at all education levels. Many of our research training grants are made to organizations, which in turn select the students or postdoctoral researchers who’ll receive support. This post focuses on programs individual graduate students and postdoctoral scientists can directly apply to, regardless of your institutional or organizational affiliation.  

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Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) Funding Opportunity and Upcoming Webinar

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UPDATE: The video and slides [PDF] for this webinar are available.

We’re pleased to announce our Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) has been reissued (PAR-24-128). This NOFO continues our support of eligible, domestic organizations to develop and implement effective, evidence-informed approaches to dual-degree training and mentoring that will keep pace with the rapid evolution of the biomedical research enterprise and lead to the completion of both a clinical degree (for example, M.D., D.O., D.V.M., D.D.S., Pharm.D.) and a research doctorate degree (Ph.D.). We expect that the proposed research training programs will incorporate didactic, research, and career development elements to prepare trainees for careers that will have a significant impact on the health-related research needs of the nation.

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New NIGMS Resource: How-To Videos on Preparing NIH Training Tables

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We’re pleased to announce the creation of informational videos on completing the NIH training tables. These videos take you through completing the NIH tables for undergraduate and graduate research training grant applications and, when applicable, research performance progress reports.

The following NIH training tables have informational videos* (accessible PDF versions are available on our website):

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Transitioning Our Participation in NRSA Individual Predoc Fellowships to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research to the ARC Program

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We recently issued an NIH Guide notice (NOT-GM-24-013) informing the community that NIGMS will discontinue participation in the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Predoctoral Fellowships to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research (Parent F31-Diversity), effective April 9, 2024. The last submission date for new or resubmission applications is April 8, 2024.

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A Primer on NIGMS Training, Workforce Development, and Diversity Efforts

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This post is part of a series outlining NIGMS research priorities, funding opportunities, and the grant application process. You can read more posts in this series and sign up to receive all future posts delivered straight to your inbox.

Our previous post in this series provided an overview of NIGMS research capacity building opportunities. This post provides a primer on our Institute’s research training, workforce development, and diversity programs.

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Webinar for Predoctoral Basic Biomedical Sciences Research Training Program (T32) Applicants

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UPDATE: The video and slides [PDF] from this webinar are now available.

We’re pleased to announce a technical assistance webinar for people interested in applying for training grants in the predoctoral basic biomedical sciences (PAR-23-228). The next application due date is January 25, 2024.

During the webinar, we’ll provide a brief overview of the funding opportunity and answer your programmatic, budget, and scientific review questions. You can send questions before the webinar or post them in the chat box during the event:

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Funding Opportunity: Predoctoral Basic Biomedical Sciences Research Training Program (T32)

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We’re pleased to announce our Predoctoral Basic Biomedical Sciences Research Training Program (T32) notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) has been reissued (PAR-23-228). This NOFO continues our support of eligible, domestic organizations to develop and implement effective, evidence-informed approaches to biomedical graduate training and mentoring that will keep pace with the rapid evolution of the biomedical research enterprise. We expect that the proposed research training programs will incorporate didactic, research, and career development elements to prepare trainees for careers that will have a significant impact on the health-related research needs of the nation.

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Funding Opportunity: Support for Training, Workforce Development, and Diversity Conferences

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NIGMS has long recognized the need for more hypothesis-driven research to test biomedical training, mentoring, and networking interventions to improve efficacy and replicability across career stages and at a range of institution types (learn more from our research on interventions program webpage). The Institute has also encouraged the use of evidence-informed practices to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of research education, training, and career development in its research training programs. An important element of our programs is the dissemination of the research findings to the biomedical and research training communities. We’re pleased to announce a new notice of special interest (NOSI) (NOT-GM-23-028) requesting applications for conferences focusing on evidence-informed interventions to enhance training, workforce development, and diversity in the biomedical research enterprise.

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