# PREP @ UC Berkeley

> **NIH NIH R25** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY · 2024 · $381,397

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT
California is the most populous state in the nation but, in contrast to the racial and ethnic diversity of the
Californian population, the research workforce in the biological science is relatively homogeneous. One of
the reasons lies in the limited number of underrepresented minority (URM) students who enter PhD
programs. To address this issue, a Post-Baccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) will be
developed at UC Berkeley to provide URM and disabled students, who want to pursue a career in
biomedical research, with the intensive research experience and academic enrichment necessary to
prepare them successfully for graduate school application and their subsequent careers in academia. The
goals of this application are three-fold: (1) P rovide exceptional research opportunities to underrepresented
recent college graduates; (2) Establish strong mentoring relationships and community building through a
mentoring system providing the trainees with the support network they need to flourish in the program and
beyond; and (3) Provide state of the art professional development tools and coaching to support scholars’
development and optimally prepare them to succeed in a biomedical research career. Annual support is
sought for 6 “post-bac” students who will be placed in productive research laboratories which are actively
funded by federal grants. Throughout the year long program, scholars will participate in enrichment
activities including: writing personal statements for graduate applications; mock interviews; assistance in
completing graduate applications; GRE Preparation; travel to scientific meetings; and improvement of
communication skills.
To achieve the success of this program, the Program Directors Prof. Gian Garriga, Associate Dean of
Equity and Inclusion in the Biological Sciences, and Dr. Schaletzky, Executive Director of the Center of
Emerging and Neglected Diseases (CEND) at UC Berkeley have recruited 38 faculty members to provide,
not only intensive laboratory research training, but also relevant professional development guidance. An
asset for the program, CEND is known within UC Berkeley for excellence in administration and a
commitment to enhancing participation of underrepresented groups in STEM. CEND will bring excellent
management and leadership and individual mentoring to the program and also provide a comprehensive
career development program, involving individual development plans supported by a variety of career
development workshops tailored to participating scholars. We are confident that scholars graduating from
this program will be in an excellent position to successfully compete for graduate schools, contributing to
equal representation of all groups in STEM and strengthening the innovation capacity of the scientific
community in a sustainable fashion.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10772023
- **Project number:** 5R25GM140276-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY
- **Principal Investigator:** GIAN GARRIGA
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $381,397
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-02-15 → 2027-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10772023

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10772023, PREP @ UC Berkeley (5R25GM140276-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10772023. Licensed CC0.

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