UNT Experiences in Mentored Biomedical Research and Career Exploration

About This Grant

Project Summary/Abstract The UNT EMBRACE mission is to provide a basic biomedical predoctoral training program that enhances scientific skill sets, develops trainee career and professional skill sets, provides transdepartmental opportunities to participants, and increases faculty development as mentors. The University of North Texas (UNT) serves over 32,000 undergraduate and 7,000 graduate students and is ranked by the Carnegie Classification as a Tier 1 institute dedicated to providing quality mentoring to our Ph.D. students. A central goal of the UNT EMBRACE training program is to increase the number of domestic trainees who complete a Ph.D. and enter a career within the biomedical research workforce. To align with this goal, the objectives of this training program are to: 1) provide high-quality scientific training for predoctoral students in biomedical sciences; 2) provide trainees with professional training and career exploration opportunities; and 3) enhance the Ph.D. mentoring experience for both trainees and mentors to ensure a safe and supportive training environment. To reach objective 1, faculty and career mentors provide scientific training that ensures our trainees reach program milestones and gain the skills required to successfully join the biomedical research workforce. To reach objective 2, EMBRACE trainees will participate in career workshops, learning experiences, and career exploration that prepares them for a successful transition into workforce. To reach objective 3, we have assembled 39 mentors representing a range of backgrounds and professional experiences across seven departments with a strong focus in basic biomedical research, all committed to excellence in mentoring EMBRACE trainees. Our trainees and their mentors participate in the “Mentoring-the-Mentors” training plan to enhance the mentoring experience. Trainees receive both vertical mentoring by faculty preceptors and near-peer mentoring by seasoned graduate students. Each year, the UNT EMBRACE training program will welcome a new cohort of six trainees starting their 2nd year of their Ph.D. studies. Each cohort will be funded for two years with a total of 30 trainees supported during the grant’s five years. All trainees are provided with EMBRACE financial support during the second and third years of their predoctoral training as they transition their focus from academic coursework and towards their individualized dissertation research. The students and mentors participate in a variety of program activities including mentoring discussions, career development activities, scientific development seminars, self-evaluation activities, and leadership workshops. The EMBRACE training program will be evaluated annually by an independent, internal evaluator and an Advisory Committee and program activities will be modified as recommended. This training program will strengthen our EMBRACE trainees’ scientific and career skills, preparing them to successfully enter the biomedical workforce and providing faculty the opportunity to further develop as mentors.