# Veterinary Summer Scholars in Comparative Medicine

> **NIH NIH T35** · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · 2020 · $67,511

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Veterinarian-scientists provide critical disciplinary and technical expertise for advancing biomedical research.
Due to their broad understanding of animal anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, and disease, they possess
key knowledge for cross-species comparative medicine and for experimentally-induced and naturally occurring
animal models of human diseases. Veterinarian-scientists also provide contributions to human welfare through
critical roles in One Health initiatives, including in global food security and in emerging and zoonotic diseases.
Of importance is that approximately 75% of recently emerging infectious diseases affecting humans are
diseases of animal origin. However, the US National Research Council, an NIH Physician-Scientist Workforce
Working Group Report, and the NIH Office of Research Infrastructure Programs have all emphasized that the
veterinarian-scientist workforce is far underrepresented and underutilized in biomedical research. Reasons for
this include limited access by veterinary students to biomedical research programs and appropriate training.
The objective of our “Veterinary Summer Scholars in Comparative Medicine” T35 training program is to provide
direct biomedical research experiences to first and second-year veterinary students to increase the numbers of
researchers in the veterinary-scientist pipeline. Our approach will consist of 1) providing opportunities to
conduct biomedical research in an environment of collaboration and discovery provided by mentors who are
basic and clinical-scientists, and 2) providing research training in the form of lectures and discussions focused
on responsible conduct and ethics in research, experimental design and quality assurance, research
communication, and career pathways in the biomedical sciences. New innovations described in this renewal
application include increased opportunities for continued research experiences during veterinary school, as
well as interprofessional interactions by our veterinary students with other health professionals to promote
team-science. The proposed T35 training program involves a critical mass of faculty mentors from our
comprehensive Academic Health Center at the University of Minnesota for providing multidisciplinary and
state-of-the-art research experiences.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9899825
- **Project number:** 5T35OD011118-09
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
- **Principal Investigator:** BRUCE K WALCHECK
- **Activity code:** T35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $67,511
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2011-07-15 → 2023-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9899825

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9899825, Veterinary Summer Scholars in Comparative Medicine (5T35OD011118-09). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9899825. Licensed CC0.

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