# Brain, Immunology and Glia Training Program

> **NIH NIH T32** · UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA · 2024 · $208,724

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
The Brain Immunology ang Glia Training Program (BIGTP) at the University of Virginia (UVA) will build on
existing strengths in neuroimmunology and glia research and the programming that has been in place since the
establishment of the center from Brain Immmunolgy and Glia (BIG) in 2012. The BIGTP brings together 20
mentors from eight different departments with the goal of providing interdisciplinary training that sparks
discoveries and prepares a generation of researchers that are uniquely equipped to tackle research questions
that arise at the interface of neuroscience and immunology. Funds are requested to support two predoctoral
trainees each year for a duration of two years, typically in years three and four of graduate training. The 20
mentors are well-funded by a total of nearly $11 million in annual direct costs. The average mentor has trained
more than nine pre- and postdoctoral trainees in the past ten years. Assistant Professors are included as Junior
Mentors that will require senior BIGTP faculty to serve as co-mentors for trainees. Formal mentor training is
required of all BIGTP mentors. Trainees will partake in the dynamic BIG research in progress seminars that are
held weekly. Trainees will also have access to leaders in the field through the BIG Neuro seminar series. Annual
retreats will focus on trainee development, review of the program, and will allow trainees to interact with members
of the BIGTP External Advisory Board that are invited as keynote speakers. The quantitative literacy of trainees
will be developed and supported through the Quantitative Literacy Series designed specifically for trainees that
addresses topics in experimental design, reproducibility, power analysis, statistical analyses, transparency in
reporting, etc. Importantly, Dr. Marieke Jones directs required courses in programming and statistical analyses
and will be directly supported by and involved in BIGTP events, providing continuity in instruction and support
for trainees for the duration of their predoctoral studies. The BIGTP will be evaluated by current and past trainees,
program mentors, and members of a highly-qualified External Advisory Board. Predoctoral trainees trained in
BIGTP mentor laboratories have completed their degrees in approximately 5.25 years and contributed to an
average of 4.9 publications and 1.7 first-author publications in journals that include: Nature, Cell, Nature
Neuroscience, Science Translational Medicine, Immunity, Neuron, PNAS, Science Advances, and Nature
Communications. Current and past trainees have been supported by individual fellowships sponsored by NIH,
NSF, and UVA. Importantly, 97% of trainees remain in science-related fields and 74% go on to complete further
training. The BIGTP leadership and mentors understand the importance of diversity, which is essential for the
strength and growth of the proposed Training Program. The BIGTP’s commitment to diversity is demonstrated
by the inclusivity within...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10881879
- **Project number:** 5T32NS115657-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
- **Principal Investigator:** TAJIE H. HARRIS
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $208,724
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-07-01 → 2026-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10881879

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10881879, Brain, Immunology and Glia Training Program (5T32NS115657-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10881879. Licensed CC0.

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