# RISE: A graduate training program to increase diversity in biomedical science

> **NIH NIH R25** · DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $402,160

## Abstract

Delaware State University (DSU), a Historically-Black university with an emerging strength in
research proposes a RISE program focused on graduate training in biomedical science. Our
interdisciplinary graduate training program will support a diverse group of students in our MS programs
in biology and neuroscience and our Neuroscience PhD program. Our biology MS programs have been
effective at supporting students from under-represented groups to continue on to PhD programs either at
DSU or another institution, while our 6-year old PhD program produced its first 4 graduates in
2015/2016, and 3 out of the 4 are African-American. With our RISE project we will build on our record
of graduating diverse MS students and bridging them into PhD programs and doctoral degree
achievement, while addressing weaknesses identified by our program self-assessment. Students in our MS
program face challenges in writing their thesis and completing their degree, and low scores on the
quantitative component of the GRE is a barrier for MS students continuing on to PhD programs. We will
improve the completion rate of our MS and PhD students and prepare them for careers in research with
increased emphasis on building writing, presentation and scientific reasoning skills.
 Our “Graduate-RISE” support program will link students in DSU's MS in Biology, MS in
Molecular & Cellular Neuroscience, and PhD in Neuroscience programs into a supportive, research-rich
community that will provide extensive professional and skills development including: 1) A two-semester,
3 credit Skills for Research Careers course with increased opportunities for writing, and presentation as
well as writing a grant proposal that will be reviewed by a mock study section; 2) Quantitative skills and
Thesis Writing courses; and 3) the formal program induction/orientation and enhanced mentoring by
culturally-competent mentors. These activities have been carefully designed to support our students'
success. The professional development course grant writing and extensive mentoring will help the
students to develop their identities as professional scientist, while the thesis/dissertation writing course
will provide the support to get them across the finish line. Grounded in the literature, these strategies will
both provide the RISE students with strong academic support, and all of the project components are
sustainable and transferrable to other schools and programs. The Evaluation Plan includes focus groups
for summative assessment and validated, baseline and follow-up surveys to assess the development of
participants' self-efficacy (research and academic) and STEM identities.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9895831
- **Project number:** 5R25GM122722-04
- **Recipient organization:** DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** MELISSA A HARRINGTON
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $402,160
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-05-01 → 2022-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9895831

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9895831, RISE: A graduate training program to increase diversity in biomedical science (5R25GM122722-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9895831. Licensed CC0.

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