# The Fisk-Meharry-Vanderbilt Biomedical Informatics Ecosystem to Support Diverse Students in Data Science

> **NIH NIH R25** · MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE · 2024 · $134,460

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
The NIH administrative supplement will further the mentorship activities of Fortune Mhlanga, a scientist
who has demonstrated a compelling commitment to mentorship and enhancing diversity, equity,
inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) in the biomedical sciences. This supplement will be attached to the
NLM R25 award, 5 R25 LM014216 02, titled 'The Biomedical Informatics Ecosystem to Support
Talented Diverse Students in Data Science (BEST-DS2).' This parent award began on September 1, 2023,
and ends on August 31, 2028. Fortune Mhlanga is the PI on this R25 award.
Our existing NLM R25 program will enhance this supplement, as the infrastructure is already in place,
faculty mentors have been selected for the next two years, and we have many diverse students prepared to
enter the program. Additionally, the program activities and presenters are already planned. This
supplement will expand and enhance the NLM R25 award and further the mentoring activities of Fortune
Mhlanga by supporting two major activities. First, a mentoring academy for early career faculty members
involved in the parent NLM R25 award will be created and conducted by Fortune Mhlanga. Secondly,
this supplement will increase the number of students in the parent award’s R25 program and enhance the
program's mentoring activities.
The specific aims are to: (1) Create and implement a mentoring academy to enhance the NLM R25
faculty mentors’ capability, (2) Increase the existing NLM R25 program by 3 diverse students per year for
the next two years (a total of 6 additional students), (3) Provide a rigorous evaluation of the activities of
this supplement, and (4) Disseminate information, lessons learned, and best practices through
conferences, publications, and our HBCU/MSI networks, and increase our ties to other programs and
universities involved in DEIA mentoring.
The supplement will ensure that the R25 faculty mentors have better skills and training in working with
and mentoring diverse students. The entire R25 program will have stronger connections to other
individuals and organizations engaged in DEIA. There will be a focus on sustaining the DEIA activities
and focus of the R25 PI, Fortune Mhlanga. The long-term goal of this administrative supplement is to
support and sustain the ongoing and future PI’s DEIA efforts.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11037210
- **Project number:** 3R25LM014216-03S1
- **Recipient organization:** MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE
- **Principal Investigator:** FORTUNE MHLANGA
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $134,460
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2022-09-15 → 2027-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11037210

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11037210, The Fisk-Meharry-Vanderbilt Biomedical Informatics Ecosystem to Support Diverse Students in Data Science (3R25LM014216-03S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11037210. Licensed CC0.

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