# The University of Virginia Kidney Technology Development Research Education Program (VA K-TUTOR)

> **NIH NIH R25** · UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA · 2021 · $140,170

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
The University of Virginia Kidney Technology Development Research Education Program (VA K-TUTOR) aims
to increase interest and engagement among undergraduate students from different disciplines to pursue further
studies and careers in kidney research. The goal is to recruit at least 5 biomedical engineering students including
other undergraduate students from University of Virginia (UVA) and Virginia Polytechnic and State University
(VA Tech) for an extended research program. The program will consist of 2 parts: a) a 10-week summer clinical
nephrology immersion and didactic sessions aimed at identifying a clinical problem in nephrology that is coupled
to b) a 6-12 month research program that is aimed at defining a solution to the problem identified during the
clinical immersion program. The ideal research program would be a collaborative one involving more than one
student in a Capstone Project that leads to innovation and technology development to address problems in
patients with kidney disease. VA K-TUTOR will recruit highly motivated students to a multidisciplinary program
that incorporates didactic training, clinical nephrology immersion, research, technology development,
entrepreneurship, intellectual property and local/national networking opportunities. Integral to this R25 program
are the NIH-funded faculty within the UVA Adult and Pediatric Nephrology Divisions, the Center for Immunity,
Inflammation and Regenerative Medicine, and the Pediatric Center of Excellence in Nephrology as well as the
newly funded UVA CTSA program (the Integrated Translational Health Research Institute Of Virginia (iTHRIV)),
UVA’s new School of Data Sciences as well as long standing successful programs in the UVA School of
Medicine, the UVA School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the UVA College of Arts and Sciences. The
environment provides a rich interprofessional and multidisciplinary training ground that will grow a new
generation of innovators in the science of kidney diseases. In addition, we will utilize our existing relationship
with VA Tech Human Factors Engineering (HFE) Program as well as our own HFE to extend the program beyond
UVA. The overarching goal is to increase awareness on the impact of kidney diseases, to expose undergraduate
students to nephrology research and didactic learning, and to familiarize the students with the opportunities that
exist for careers in nephrology research. This program will be a national model to address the urgent need to
grow the next generation investigators that lead innovative research programs.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10127635
- **Project number:** 5R25DK124918-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
- **Principal Investigator:** WILLIAM H GUILFORD
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $140,170
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-04-01 → 2025-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10127635

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10127635, The University of Virginia Kidney Technology Development Research Education Program (VA K-TUTOR) (5R25DK124918-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10127635. Licensed CC0.

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