# MBRS IMSD Program at the University of California, Irvine

> **NIH NIH R25** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE · 2021 · $735,877

## Abstract

The objective of the MBRS-IMSD Program at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) is to increase the number
and academic excellence of underrepresented (UR) undergraduate and graduate students that complete Ph.D.
degrees in biomedical sciences and advance to competitive postdoctoral positions. During the past decade,
the program increased by several fold the institutional rate at which UR undergraduates enter Ph.D. programs
following graduation and the number of UR graduate students completing Ph.D. programs at UCI. Program
elements are academic preparation, research training, intense mentoring and professional development.
Independent paid research conducted under the direction of faculty mentors serves as a core element to
prepare IMSD students for graduate school and research-focused careers. Research training begins in the
freshmen year with the development of original projects that are developed by participants. Over 80 faculty
with funded research programs serve as preceptors of IMSD trainees. The program offers a series of
components to increase the interest, motivation and academic preparedness of undergraduates (freshmen to
seniors) to enter Ph.D. programs in biomedical sciences, including a peer tutoring/mentoring program of
science classes, a seminar series, journal club, progress report sessions, workshops on scientific
communications, and application to graduate school. The graduate component is designed to provide a
comprehensive training for UR Ph.D. students to excel in graduate school. The program provides summer
research training for incoming UR Ph.D. students to prepare them for the graduate core classes, a workshop to
prepare oral exams after the first year, a series of activities for second year students to prepare a dissertation
research project and competitive proposals for extramural funding, presentation of papers at national
conferences, professional development workshops on the academic postdoctoral positions search and
counseling and orientation about graduate studies and career development in a non-departmental setting.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10079487
- **Project number:** 5R25GM055246-25
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE
- **Principal Investigator:** LUIS M MOTA-BRAVO
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $735,877
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1996-09-30 → 2022-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10079487

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10079487, MBRS IMSD Program at the University of California, Irvine (5R25GM055246-25). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10079487. Licensed CC0.

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