# Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program "PREP@UAZ"

> **NIH NIH R25** · UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA · 2022 · $321,710

## Abstract

Program Summary/Abstract
American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) are the most underrepresented racial/ethnic group among
scientists in the U.S. One reason for their low representation is the cultural difference between Indigenous and
Euro-American-based science, which can lead to a feeling of isolation for AI/AN students. The vision of
Indigenous1 scholars within higher education and the long-term goal of the proposed University of Arizona
Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (UA PREP) is to overcome these differences and increase
the participation of AI/AN students in biomedical research. Due to its close proximity to many Tribal or AI/AN
communities, the richness of its biomedical and behavioral research enterprise, and an institutional-level
commitment to diversity and inclusion, UA is well-positioned for a PREP program. Further, UA ranks first
among U.S. research-intensive universities in conferring PhD degrees to AI/AN students. The premise of the
proposed PREP is that nurturing overall well-being and honoring Indigenous science knowledge while offering
AI/AN students a doctoral-level research experience will provide the best foundation for success in graduate
school. The current proposal seeks to provide five to eight UA PREP participants per year with an intensive
research experience and additional training to enhance their competitiveness for doctoral programs. Strategic
partnerships with minority-serving institutions and with programs at UA that support AI/AN undergraduates in
STEM fields will be utilized to support recruitment efforts. The program will focus on students who have
encountered greater than average challenges on their path to graduate school. Participants will spend 75% of
their time conducting hypothesis-driven, doctoral-level research. The proposed activities for the remaining 25%
of the participants' efforts will provide career development training. The matriculation and retention of AI/AN
students in graduate programs will be increased by nurturing a sense of belonging within the community of
science while honoring Indigenous knowledge. We aim to have at least 75% of the trainees matriculate into
biomedical PhD programs. Their retention and success in these programs will be enhanced by foundations laid
in UA PREP. Participants will be encouraged to incorporate their cultural values into their individual
development plans. Further, program activities will nurture community engagement with frequent opportunities
to interact with Native and non-Native science faculty and graduate students. The capacity of UA to train AI/AN
graduate students will be fostered through annual workshops aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of faculty in
mentoring students and increasing cultural sensitivity and awareness of and integration of Indigenous science
methods into the curriculum. A selection committee of research-active mentors will recommend the strongest
applicants to UA PREP for approval by the Institutional Advisory Co...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10336357
- **Project number:** 5R25GM121228-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
- **Principal Investigator:** MARGARET M BRIEHL
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $321,710
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-02-01 → 2024-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10336357

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10336357, Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program "PREP@UAZ" (5R25GM121228-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10336357. Licensed CC0.

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