# University of Maryland FIRST Program

> **NIH NIH U54** · UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE · 2024 · $8,703

## Abstract

Project Summary for Overall
The overarching goal of the grant is to create a comprehensive model that is dedicated to ensuring
a diverse, scholarly environment and encouraging outstanding individuals to enter the academic
profession through a commitment to inclusive excellence. This proposal represents a Partnership
between the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) and the University of Maryland
Baltimore County (UMBC). As defined by the FIRST RFA, the UMSOM is a Highly Resourced
Institution (HRI) with an average of $140 million in NIH funding over the last three years and
UMBC is a Limited-Resourced Institution (LRI) with an average of $7.5 million in NIH funding over
the last three years. The UMSOM is one of six professional schools on the University of Maryland
Baltimore (UMB) campus located in downtown Baltimore. UMBC is located just 8 miles away from
UMB. UMB and UMBC have been closely linked ever since the 1966 founding of UMBC through
a variety of interactions and relationships as described in the proposal. We will “build” upon
UMBC’s rich reputation as a public research university for producing highly capable and
competitive undergraduate and graduate scholars in a diverse setting. This new model will seek
to hire three cohorts of underrepresented scholars, who are committed to diversity in the academy
and to prepare those scholars for successful possible tenure track appointments at UMBC. In
addition, the program will encourage and support departments and programs in their efforts to
enrich their intellectual communities through the increased representation of diverse perspectives
in research, teaching, and service. Cohorts will be recruited into themed areas of cancer biology,
neuroscience, and microbiology/infectious diseases, which are all areas of significant strength at
both institutions. Ten new faculty members from underrepresented groups will be recruited, with
six recruits being primarily affiliated with the UMSOM and four recruits primarily affiliated with
UMBC. All recruits will have secondary appointments in the other institution and will undergo
faculty development and other program activities as a cohort. The general approach proposed in
this initiative is to combine the experiences and strengths of our two institutions through
leveraging existing programs and new initiatives to infuse the unbiased hiring and mentoring of
faculty, especially underrepresented minorities, into the fabric of departmental culture and thereby
affect institutional change. Of primary importance are institutional policies and procedures that
support a diverse professoriate and provide a sustainable infrastructure for it to establish and
grow.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11003449
- **Project number:** 3U54CA272205-02S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE
- **Principal Investigator:** JAMES B KAPER
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $8,703
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2022-09-09 → 2027-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11003449

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11003449, University of Maryland FIRST Program (3U54CA272205-02S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11003449. Licensed CC0.

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