G-RISE at Northern Arizona University

About This Grant

Project Summary The primary mission of the G-RISE program at Northern Arizona University (NAU) is to strengthen the PhD trained biomedical and health focused scientist workforce by enhancing institutional capacity and promoting broader participation in rigorous research training. NAU is ideally positioned to contribute to this mission because of the high number of students from disadvantaged backgrounds, combined with strong existing feeder programs, an institutional commitment to educational excellence and upwards mobility and strong and rapidly growing biomedical research productivity. The overarching goal of G-RISE at NAU is to enhance the recruitment, participation and retention of PhD students across 4 PhD programs in Biology, Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, Informatics and Computing, and Interdisciplinary Health. We aim to use an innovative wrap-around mentorship support system shown to be effective at our institution for students from a range of backgrounds including students from rural areas, first-generation college students, indigenous and Hispanic students. Our activities build on a range of successful training programs primarily at the undergraduate and masters’ levels, including a RISE R25 and research education and investigator development cores of NIH-funded collaborative partnership grants. Specifically, to accomplish our goal, we will provide 1) foundational research training including curricular programming, training in NIH rigor and reproducibility and Responsible Conduct of Research; 2) hands-on research experiences including applied research training during the academic year, summer enrichment experiences and exposure to role models from indigenous and other underrepresented backgrounds; and 3) career development training, including development of a mentorship team, grant writing training, peer-reviewed manuscript writing, training in oral communication skills and support in applying to external workshops and professional positions. We aim to support 8 students each year and support them for 2 years each, for up to 20 students for the proposed 5-year cycle. Our program is further boosted by a strong institutional commitment, further enhancing chances of success. The measurable outcomes are to retain at least 80% of students, and at least 65% of trainees will graduate within 6 years of starting their respective PhD program. In addition, at least 80% of students will present research results at a scientific conference and co-author a scientific manuscript, with the goal of at least one product per year starting in their second year. Finally, at least 75% of graduates will work in a field related to biomedical science or translational health research. We believe G-RISE at NAU will provide the necessary and timely support and research training needed to increase capacity of our trainees to conduct research relevant to their communities, lower the years to degree attainment and strengthen the PhD trained biomedical workforce.