# Short-Term Research Training Program in NIDDK Mission Areas

> **NIH NIH T35** · UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO · 2023 · $85,574

## Abstract

Substantive research training early during the course of medical school education is critical to address the
declining number of physicians choosing research careers. The proposed University of Illinois Short-Term
Research Training Program (SRTP) will provide first year medical students (12 slots in Year 1, 15 in Year 2-5)
with a 10-week mentored research experience in the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney
Diseases (NIDDK) mission areas including, kidney, urologic and hematologic diseases; digestive disease and
nutrition; and diabetes, endocrinology and metabolic disease. The University of Illinois College of Medicine (UI
COM) is a large public medical school with one of the most diverse student populations in the country in terms
of enrolled African American and Latino students. The program will draw from first year medical students at UI
COM, as well as other medical schools in the Chicago metropolitan area and Midwest. We have assembled an
outstanding team of mentors in NIDDK mission areas with expertise in basic/mechanistic, clinical/translational,
and behavioral/community-based research. In addition to mentored research, students will participate in an
interactive structured curriculum focused on research methodology, responsible conduct of research, and
career development. To learn presentation skills and principles of rigor and reproducibility, students will co-
lead, with a research mentor, journal clubs and works-in-progress sessions. Additional novel aspects of the
program include use of peer-to-peer mentoring and ongoing exposure to successful early career physician-
scientists. At the end of the summer, students will present at a SRTP Research Symposium and the COM
Research Day. After the program is completed, the program will utilize multiple strategies to facilitate continued
involvement in research activities, including encouraging students to apply to the James Scholar Program, a
program that provides the infrastructure to support research during the second to fourth years of medical
school. In addition, the program will strive to create a sense of community among SRTP cohorts by hosting
quarterly “Ideas on Tap” (research/social networking events at which students present ongoing research), and
will maintain connections with trainees using the program website, newsletters, an SRTP Slack communication
channel, and social media. An Executive Committee will oversee implementation of the program,
recruitment/selection, program evaluation, and tracking of short- and long-term outcomes. Strengths of the
program include the experienced co-Directors, committed and well-funded program mentors with broad
expertise across NIDDK mission areas, an innovative structured curriculum, a robust recruitment plan to
enhance diversity, strong institutional support, and a thoughtfully conceived plan to foster continued research
involvement after program completion. Consequently, the proposed SRTP will provide medical students with...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10640945
- **Project number:** 5T35DK131960-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO
- **Principal Investigator:** Waddah A. Alrefai
- **Activity code:** T35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $85,574
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-09-01 → 2027-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10640945

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10640945, Short-Term Research Training Program in NIDDK Mission Areas (5T35DK131960-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10640945. Licensed CC0.

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