# MUSC Post-Baccalaureate Research Education Program

> **NIH NIH R25** · MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA · 2022 · $326,821

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Post-baccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) is
an intensive one-year biomedical research, education and mentoring experience carefully designed to provide
under-represented minority, disadvantaged, and individuals with disabilities an opportunity to acquire the skills,
habits, and mindset associated with success and fulfillment in doctoral training and lifelong scientific careers.
Our program will leverage our established IMSD program as well as our robust university Office of Diversity,
Equity and Inclusion to provide professional development and role models that support identity development as
scientists and long-term support systems for our scholars. The Goals and Measurable Outcomes of MUSC
PREP are to: (1) Introduce our PREP scholars to the culture of the biomedical science community of practice
through explicit teaching and structured experiences to enable them to assimilate and build their identities as
scientists. (2) Provide a safe environment for continuous self-assessment by guiding all of our scholars in the
creation and continual refinement of their own individual development plans that will direct their choice of
professional and educational activities during the PREP year and beyond. (3) Provide all of our PREP scholars
a mentored laboratory research project and opportunity for oral presentation of their research to acquire the
critical thinking and communication skills expected at the graduate level, and cultural capital attractive to
graduate programs. (4) Enroll all of our scholars in authentic PhD-level coursework to enhance cognitive and
non-cognitive skills such that at least 75% of MUSC PREP scholars will matriculate into a top 100 biomedical
science PhD or dual degree program. (5) Actively develop individualized long-term support networks for our
scholars by introducing them to multiple mentors at MUSC, our regional PREP-IMSD sister institutions, and the
National Research Mentoring Network, ensuring that at least 90% of MUSC PREP alumni will complete the PhD
and join the workforce in a scientific career. (6) Collect pre-planned objective and subjective outcome data for
continuous internal and external assessment and refinement of the program, publication of effective strategies,
and to inform best practices for training all science graduate students. If successful, the biomedical workforce of
tomorrow will better reflect the racial, ethnic, neurologic, and socioeconomic diversity of the United States than
it does today, which in turn may broaden the positive impact of biomedical research and the human health
outcomes that follow from it.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10331053
- **Project number:** 5R25GM113278-07
- **Recipient organization:** MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
- **Principal Investigator:** Paula Traktman
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $326,821
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2015-02-01 → 2026-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10331053

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10331053, MUSC Post-Baccalaureate Research Education Program (5R25GM113278-07). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10331053. Licensed CC0.

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