# Program in Immunology Research and Entrepreneurship (PIRE)

> **NIH NIH T32** · MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA · 2021 · $269,076

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT 
  
This new application from the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) seeks support for a Program 
in  Immunology  Research  and  Entrepreneurship  (PIRE)  to  train  postdoctoral  fellows  in  immunology  with  an 
emphasis on translation, biomedical innovation and entrepreneurship. The program seeks to address the need 
to  empower  our  future  immunology  research  workforce  with  the  competence  necessary  to  commercialize 
scientific discoveries. Disease-­related themes that are central to this program are innate immune mechanisms, 
immunity  to  infection,  alloimmunity  (organ  and  hematopoietic  stem  cell  transplant),  autoimmunity,  and  cancer 
immunity. The Program Mentor Faculty consist of an interdisciplinary group of 14 investigators with established 
training records who are committed to research and research training of postdoctoral trainees within the area of 
inflammation and immunity. The proposed grant will support 2 fellows in the first year and 4 per year thereafter 
to standardize recruitment efforts and provide a steady flow of new trainees. The core training for PIRE fellows 
is the research experience in the laboratory setting complemented by specialized training in entrepreneurship, 
using the following components: (1) mentoring through the engagement of an Individual Development Plan for 
Entrepreneurship  (IDPE)  Committee;;  (2)  laboratory  training  including  use  of  mass  cytometry,  a  potentially 
transforming technology for cellular immunology research;; (3) didactic training in biomedical commercialization 
and  entrepreneurship;;  (4)  experiential  training  by  conducting  an  internship  with  MUSC’s  technology  transfer 
office;; (5) participation in activities (seminar series, journal club, scientific retreat) sponsored by the Department 
of Microbiology and Immunology;; (6) instruction in the responsible conduct of research;; (7) instruction in methods 
for enhancing reproducibility;; and (8) use of a virtual “trainee career toolkit” that includes grantsmanship, teaching 
and career planning. Recruitment of postdoctoral trainees will be carried out on a national basis with an explicit 
goal of recruiting women and minority postdoctoral trainees to address significant disparities in entrepreneurial 
participation  as  well  as  biomedical  and  immunology  research.  The  Program  Director  will  be  assisted  by  an 
Associate  Program  Director,  administrative  coordinator,  Program  Steering  Committee  and  External  Advisory 
Board to ensure effective administration, management, and evaluation of the program and guide future direction.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10151559
- **Project number:** 5T32AI132164-05
- **Recipient organization:** MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
- **Principal Investigator:** Stephen Tomlinson
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $269,076
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-07-20 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10151559

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10151559, Program in Immunology Research and Entrepreneurship (PIRE) (5T32AI132164-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10151559. Licensed CC0.

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