# U-RISE at Howard University

> **NIH NIH T34** · HOWARD UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $271,543

## Abstract

Summary/Abstract
The United States (US) biomedical science (BMS) enterprise critically lacks diversity at the Ph.D. level. This
problem is due to the lack of underrepresented minority (URM) students at the undergraduate level majoring in
STEM (science technology engineering and mathematics) disciplines. Diversifying our BMS workforce would
improve health equity by eradicating health disparities. This is of the utmost importance since the COVID-19
pandemic is disproportionately affecting underrepresented populations in the US. Given the proper academic
and research training along with encouragement, a substantial number of academically talented URM students
would seek research career in the BMS workforce. The Undergraduate Research Training Initiative for Student
Enhancement (U-RISE) at Howard University Program will tap into this reservoir of students that would contribute
to the diversification of our BMS workforce. Hence, the U-RISE at HU Program leadership mission is to recruit
talented and passionate undergraduate students who envision themselves as innovative BMS scientists and
global leaders in their fields. Our program mission is to engage them in an enhanced academic curriculum and
hands-on research activities during the junior and senior years. This will produce a cadre highly educated,
motivated, and well-trained URM students. To implement and sustain U-RISE at HU Program, the objective of
the project needs to be integrated into our science community and culture. Our specific aims are the following:
1) To recruit academically talented and highly motivated URMs students to participate as trainees who aspire to
a career as a Ph.D. level scientist in BMS discipline. 2) To provide our trainees with an enhanced and structured
research training through an interdisciplinary hands-on intramural research experience, extramural summer
research experience (SRE) as well as a classroom based didactic research. 3) To have at least 75% our program
trainees accepted into a research intensive (R1) university Ph.D. programs in a BMS discipline within two years
of graduation from Howard University, and 4) To design, implement, and institutionalize a STEM professional
development course to stimulate our trainees’ interest. Finally, we envision our program will create a strong
foundation for Howard University in the recruitment, enrollment, retention, and advancement of enthusiastic
undergraduate students majoring in the BMS disciplines.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10818634
- **Project number:** 5T34GM145513-03
- **Recipient organization:** HOWARD UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Shawn Maurice Abernathy
- **Activity code:** T34 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $271,543
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-04-01 → 2025-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10818634

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10818634, U-RISE at Howard University (5T34GM145513-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10818634. Licensed CC0.

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