# San Antonio Program for Undergraduate Research in Renal Science (SPURRS)

> **NIH NIH R25** · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCIENCE CENTER · 2021 · $112,719

## Abstract

This proposal seeks to establish a summer research program, the San Antonio Program for Undergraduate
Research in Renal Science (SPURRS) at the University of Texas Health San Antonio Long School of Medicine
to attract promising undergraduate students and recent graduates from diverse backgrounds to pursue careers
in kidney research. Kidney disease affects approximately 15-20% of the US population and accounts for ~16%
of Medicare expenditures each year. New therapies to stem the suffering and expense associated with kidney
disease have been slow to develop and will require a robust, diverse research workforce. At the same time,
interest in nephrology careers has plummeted, with the number of applicants for nephrology training programs
dropping substantially below the number of training positions available. Efforts are desperately needed to
cultivate the next generation of kidney researchers and reverse this trend. The Aim of the proposed Program is
to address this need by providing outstanding and motivated undergraduate students with an immersive 10
week mentored summer research experience supplemented by a kidney research and career development
curriculum. At the end of their research experience, students will present the results of their projects to their
peers from the other R25 centers and NIDDK officials at the annual Summer Student Research Symposium.
Together, these activities will expose students to the exciting world of kidney research and provide them with a
knowledge base, critical thinking skills, personal development tools and an enthusiasm for discovery. These
attributes are critical for their development into biomedical researchers and contributing to the future of
nephrology, which is the long term goal of SPURRS. The Aims of the proposal are to: 1. Recruit a cohort of
highly qualified and enthusiastic students, 2. Provide a hands-on research experience through which students
will learn how discovery, clinical and translational kidney research are conducted and the results are
disseminated to others, and 3. Provide mentoring and career development activities to enhance entry and
retention of the students into careers as kidney research scientists. We are uniquely positioned to achieve the
goals of our Program. UT Health San Antonio has a robust portfolio of kidney research programs through which
students will gain exposure to cutting edge research, a cadre of experienced mentors to guide and energize
students about careers in biomedical investigation, a location in a large, growing city with a large population of
URM students, and a PI with experience in leading a national R25 undergraduate research education program
(NIDDK STEP-UP).

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10073510
- **Project number:** 5R25DK121576-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCIENCE CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** William Brian Reeves
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $112,719
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-03-01 → 2023-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10073510

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10073510, San Antonio Program for Undergraduate Research in Renal Science (SPURRS) (5R25DK121576-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10073510. Licensed CC0.

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