# LLU-NIH Initiative for Maximizing Student Development

> **NIH NIH R25** · LOMA LINDA UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $226,107

## Abstract

The development of a competent biomedical scientific workforce that innovates and adequately addresses the
health needs of the U.S. may require taping on talented young people from all socioeconomic and ethnic
backgrounds. Unfortunately, while members of underrepresented minority (URM) groups comprise more than
31% of the U.S. population, they barely represent 14% of the science-technology-engineering-math (STEM)
doctoral workforce. Our lack of progress in addressing this challenge represents a significant hurdle to make
progress in eliminating health disparities and advance scientific discoveries to find cures for the leading causes
of mortality among our population. The goal of the Loma Linda University Initiative for Maximizing Student
Development program (LLU-NIH IMSD) is to increase diversity in the biomedical/behavioral sciences by
increasing the number of URMs students graduating with a PhD in the biomedical sciences. The objective of
this project is to provide integral and continuous support to students participating in the LLU-NIH IMSD
program in order to enhance their timely completion of the Ph.D. degree and transition into postdoctoral
careers. This application has three specific aims. Specific Aim 1 is to increase the number of URM students
timely graduating with a Ph.D. degree in a biomedical/behavioral field from Loma Linda University. We will
achieve Aim 1 by using an "Individual Developmental Plan" to assess student's baseline skills and achieve
self-advocacy, career development, and personalized training. We plan to provide continuous support to
participant students to have a seven-year Ph.D. completion rate of 85%, a ten-year completion rate of 95%, a
target attrition rate below 5%, and an average time-to-degree of 5.5 years. Specific Aim 2 is to enhance
professionalism and scientific scholarship of IMSD students to have a competitive Ph.D. training and
successful transition to postdoctoral careers. Students will participate in an enhanced, and tested research
education program implemented as a Personalized Training Program (PTP). The PTP will specifically target
reducing barriers affecting URM success in completing the Ph.D. degree. The PTP core goal is to increase a
research and academic self-efficacy that will empower students to be successful in excelling in required
courses, competitively applying for national fellowships, and increasing productivity in their research and other
scholarly activities. Specific Aim 3 is to use the leverage of the LLU-NIH IMSD program implementation and
visibility to continue having a broad diversity institutional impact among doctoral programs at LLU. The LLU-
NIH IMSD program will work collaboratively with the LLU Health Disparities Research Pipeline Program to
have a significant diversity impact at LLU. A measurable goal is to increase by 50% the number of URM
students graduating with a biomedical/behavioral degree from LLU during the next five years. The LLU-NIH
IMSD program's outcomes and...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9840907
- **Project number:** 5R25GM060507-20
- **Recipient organization:** LOMA LINDA UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Marino De Leon
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $226,107
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2001-04-01 → 2022-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9840907

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9840907, LLU-NIH Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (5R25GM060507-20). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9840907. Licensed CC0.

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