# Training Research Educators in Minnesota (TREM) whilst increasing diversity

> **NIH NIH K12** · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · 2021 · $773,154

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
 The research community recognizes that current training of future faculty is inadequate, and understands
the considerable benefits and need for diversity throughout academia and the biomedical workforce. The goals
of this application are two-fold: (1) Train the next-generation of higher education faculty through a strongly
mentored research program (75% effort), coupled to substantive training and experience in teaching (25%
effort). (2) Increase the number of underrepresented minority (URM) students who ultimately become leaders
in the biomedical research enterprises of Minnesota and beyond.
 Minnesota is poised at a moment of great opportunity. A wave of immigration two decades ago rapidly
increased our population of Somali, Hmong and Latino citizens. Their children are now in our high schools and
community colleges. If we are to enhance diversity in all enterprises within the State of Minnesota, we need to
act now. The Training Research Educators in Minnesota (TREM) IRACDA program is part of the University
of Minnesota's (U of M's) response to this opportunity. The University is partnering with three Minneapolis-St
Paul community colleges. Student composition in these colleges is 28-46% NSF-defined racial and ethnic
minority, and approximately 50% economically disadvantaged.
 TREM will enable our brightest postdocs in the biomedical sciences to have a balanced training in
research and teaching. TREM scholars will devote 75% effort to their own research program, and will be
mentored by 35 U of M faculty across a broad spectrum of biomedical disciplines. As well as research, TREM
scholars will devote 25% effort to development of teaching skills. In combination, this will enable the scholars
to become skilled research educators. TREM is a three year, full-time program with a 3:1 effort balance each
year between research and teaching, respectively. Annually, three new scholars will be admitted to TREM,
leading to a steady state of nine scholars when fully populated. In year 1, the scholars will take the Preparing
Future Faculty program at the U of M, and during the summer will each host a community college URM student
in a ten week, full-time research internship. In years 2 and 3, the scholars will work with an experienced
teaching mentor for one semester to update and develop 1.5-2 credits of course material at the partner
institutions, and gain substantive teaching experience in both classroom and laboratory environments. TREM's
immediate goal is to tap into the diversity currently in our community colleges, whilst preparing superlative
future faculty. In the long-term, we envisage TREM scholars become successful tenured faculty who inspire
their students, whilst the TREM program as a whole will increase the number of Minnesota URM students who
pursue postgraduate education and become leaders within the biomedical workforce.
!

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10136622
- **Project number:** 5K12GM119955-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
- **Principal Investigator:** David Irwin Greenstein
- **Activity code:** K12 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $773,154
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-07-01 → 2022-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10136622

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10136622, Training Research Educators in Minnesota (TREM) whilst increasing diversity (5K12GM119955-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10136622. Licensed CC0.

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