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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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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Webinar for Institutional Predoctoral Training Grant in Basic Biomedical Sciences and MSTP Applicants

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UPDATE: The webinar slides [PDF] and video 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-20-213) and our Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) (PAR-21-189). The next application due date for both programs is January 25, 2023.

During the webinar, we’ll provide an overview of both programs and answer any questions you may have. You can send questions before the webinar or post them in the chat box during the event:

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New Leading Equity and Advancing Diversity MSTP Funding Opportunity and Upcoming Webinar

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

UPDATE: See the application due dates for the LEAD MSTP in NOT-GM-23-027.

This past February, we shared our plans to develop a program to broaden the types of institutions participating in NIH-funded dual-degree training programs. We’re pleased to announce that the Leading Equity and Advancing Diversity in the Medical Scientist Training Program (LEAD MSTP) funding opportunity announcement has been published (PAR-23-030). The LEAD MSTP aims to develop a diverse pool of highly trained clinician-scientists who meet the nation’s biomedical research needs. The program supports dual-degree training programs at institutions that haven’t historically been well represented among NIGMS-funded MSTPs. It’s limited to dual-degree training programs at 1.) historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and 2.) Tribal colleges and universities (TCUs), and 3.) institutions in Institutional Development Award (IDeA)-eligible states. NIGMS encourages applications proposing partnerships between the applying HBCUs, TCUs, or IDeA-state institutions to further advance the goals of the program.

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Virtual Meeting for IMSD and G-RISE Program Applicants

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We’re pleased to announce a virtual “office hour” for people interested in applying for our Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD) and Graduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement (G-RISE) programs. The next application due date for both programs is January 30, 2023.

These research training programs share the goal of developing a diverse pool of scientists earning a biomedical Ph.D., but have different institutional eligibility based on NIH research project grant (RPG) support. IMSD eligibility is limited to research-intensive institutions (i.e., those with an average of funding greater than or equal to $7.5 million total costs over the last 3 fiscal years) while G-RISE eligibility is limited to research-active institutions (i.e., those with an average of NIH RPG funding less than $7.5 million total costs over the last 3 fiscal years). 

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Virtual Resources from the National Research Mentoring Network

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As institutions continue to work with virtual learning modalities and in honor of National Mentoring Month, we’d like to share some useful resources from the National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN). Supported by the NIH Common Fund and managed by NIGMS, the network offers free online mentoring tools and learning resources for individuals ranging from undergraduate students to faculty.

After signing up for an NRMN account through an easy, online process, you can access the network’s mentoring tools and resources, including MyNRMN. The MyNRMN platform allows you to browse and connect with other scientists, and it can match you with a mentor or mentee with similar research interests. Through video chats, instant messaging, and file sharing between mentors and mentees, you can design a mentorship program that fits your needs.  

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Funding Opportunity: Institutional Research and Academic Career Development Awards (IRACDA) Program

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We’re pleased to announce that the Institutional Research and Academic Career Development Awards (IRACDA) (K12) funding opportunity announcement (PAR-19-366) has been reissued with some minor changes. IRACDA combines a mentored postdoctoral research experience at a research-intensive institution with an opportunity to develop critical teaching and mentoring skills at a teaching-intensive partner institution that has a diverse student population. The primary goal of the program is to develop an inclusive pool of well-trained biomedical scientists who have the necessary knowledge and skills to pursue independent academic teaching and research careers. An additional goal of IRACDA is to benefit the teaching-intensive partner institutions by:

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