# Interactive Mentoring to Enhance Research Skills (IMERS)

> **NIH NIH R25** · UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY · 2021 · $444,960

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
In an era of increasingly competitive biomedical funding as well as recognized needs for bolder efforts to
facilitate inclusion of disparate perspectives in 21st century discoveries that impact human health, the
importance of successful grant-seeking skills and behaviors is clear. Recent findings of underrepresentation of
minority scientists in award of biomedical research grants underscore the importance of this skill set for faculty
at institutions with significant enrollments of underrepresented students. Similarly, the role of research project
funding as a pipeline for student development as next-generation researchers places even greater importance
on the need for skills training in research mentoring. To address these two integrated needs, the University of
Kentucky (UK) proposes Interactive Mentoring to Enhance Research Skills (IMERS) as a workshop series to
provide interactive grant-writing training for faculty cohorts from minority-serving institutions (MSIs) across the
United States. The IMERS training in NIH-focused grantsmanship will be coupled with professional
development on research education mentoring for participating faculty. The program, based on a well-
established, long-running conference grant program, directly addresses issues of diversity in biomedical
research. The proposed expansion to a research education program reflects two new priorities: a new
professional development intervention to train participants in skills and strategies to effectively mentor students
in research and direct engagement of a research-active program faculty to serve in mentor and outreach roles.
IMERS will continue a grantsmanship training model that incorporates guided writing, participatory training, and
active learning. The core event is a three-day grant-writing workshop to be held on the UK campus for two
different faculty cohorts (25 participants per event) each year. Off-site regional or institution-specific events
provide opportunities for complementary outreach and a continuum of mentored support. Specific aims are to:
1) engage participants in hands-on, active-learning style grant-writing training for selected faculty poised to
submit NIH proposals ranging from developmental/exploratory to R01s; 2) to provide targeted training in
effective laboratory-based research training and mentorship strategies; and 3) to provide mentored post-
workshop proposal development support from a broad community of funded research mentors and research
development professionals. The proposed PI-centered IPERT provides an integrated model of skills
development, mentoring, and outreach that collectively feature guided proposal development support using
participants' own developing research narratives. In addition, the mentoring components span initial hands-on
mentoring during group workshop sessions, proposal-specific one-on-one consultations with mentors, and
subsequent post-workshop support. Expected outcomes are to facilitate indi...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10247595
- **Project number:** 5R25GM125680-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY
- **Principal Investigator:** Donald T Frazier
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $444,960
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-01 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10247595

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10247595, Interactive Mentoring to Enhance Research Skills (IMERS) (5R25GM125680-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10247595. Licensed CC0.

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