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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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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New Bridges Training Programs Announced

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UPDATE: The slides [PDF, 1.5MB] from the 2019 Webinar for Bridges Applicants have been posted.

In September 2018, we presented our plans to reorganize the Bridges training programs, part of a larger effort to reorganize the undergraduate and graduate programs in the Division of Training, Workforce Development, and Diversity. We’re now pleased to announce two new Bridges funding opportunities aimed at developing and implementing effective, evidence-based approaches to biomedical training and mentoring. The goal of these funding announcements is to enhance diversity in the biomedical research workforce and to encourage applications from training programs that:

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Funding Opportunity: Diversity Program Consortium Dissemination and Translation Awards (DPC DaTA) and Webinar

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UPDATE: The slides [PDF, 590KB] from the DPC DaTA Webinar have been posted.

On behalf of the NIH Common Fund, we’ve just released a new funding opportunity announcement soliciting applications for the Diversity Program Consortium Dissemination and Translation Awards (DPC DaTA) (U01).

This initiative is designed to broaden the DPC’s national impact. It provides an opportunity for institutions not currently part of the DPC to apply for funding to employ the consortium’s experimental methods to understand the effectiveness of biomedical research training, mentoring, or research capacity building interventions.

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Webinar for Postdoctoral Research Associate Training (PRAT) Program Applicants

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UPDATE: The slides [PDF, 1.04MB] and video Link to external web site from the PRAT Program Applicant Webinar have been posted.

We recently reissued the funding opportunity announcement (FOA) for the Postdoctoral Research Associate Training (PRAT) Program and will host a webinar for interested students and fellows:

Wednesday, June 19, 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET

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Webinar for Bridges Applicants

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UPDATE: The slides [PDF, 1.2MB] from the Bridges Applicants Webinar have been posted.

Are you preparing an institutional Bridges to the Baccalaureate or Bridges to the Doctorate grant application? If so, you may have questions about the funding opportunity announcements, data tables, and FORMS-E application package required for the upcoming September 25 receipt date.

We’re offering a webinar to discuss these topics:

Thursday, August 16, from 2:00-3:30 p.m. ET

You may send questions to us (Mercedes Rubio or Patrick H. Brown) before the webinar or post them live in the chat box during the event. If you’re away from your computer, you can access the webinar from a mobile device or listen to a voice-only option by dialing 1-800-857-5163 from anywhere in the United States or Canada and entering the participant passcode 2222558.

NIGMS Staff Participating in the August 16 Webinar:

Mercedes Rubio, Bridges to the Baccalaureate Program Director
Patrick H. Brown, Bridges to the Doctorate Program Director
Rebecca Johnson, Scientific Review Officer
Justin Rosenzweig, Grants Management Specialist

We look forward to talking to you about the Bridges programs. Slides will be posted on the Bridges to the Baccalaureate and Bridges to the Doctorate websites following the event.