# Program in Molecular and Cellular Biosciences

> **NIH NIH T32** · OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $262,581

## Abstract

This application requests funds to support enhanced training for the most promising young scientists selected
from predoctoral students enrolled in the Program in Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (PMCB) at Oregon
Health & Science University. This training opportunity, the Program in Enhanced Research Training (PERT),
will be support eight second-year PMCB students selected each year on a competitive basis. PERT students
will participate in a specialized year-long curriculum designed to promote their future success in biomedical
research careers. The objective of this enhanced curriculum will be to provide interdisciplinary research
training to a cohort of students from PMCB who show the greatest promise as future research scientists.
Integral to the PERT program is a commitment to diversity, and students will be selected from a variety of
backgrounds and disciplines. Program design includes didactic coursework to build a strong foundation in
research design, methodologies, analytical techniques, and quantitative thinking, plus interactive training in
how to apply basic research to important issues in human health and disease. Additional program objectives
will include personalized training in professional science writing, oral presentations, critical thinking,
networking, and leadership. Key activities include structured mentorship in the design and writing of an
individual research fellowship application, preparation for professional research presentations, monthly
Progress in Research meetings, participation in quarterly Computational Biology Data workshops, a monthly
Career Development Nanocourse series, and continued participation in the PERT Peer-to Peer Mentoring
program (through year 5 of their graduate training). A key outcome of the PERT program will be to enrich the
professional development of a cohort of trainees who are focused on pursuing future careers in biomedical
research. One important short-term outcome will be the mandatory submission of an individual research
fellowship proposal by each PERT trainee (NRSA or equivalent), which will also support the programmatic goal
of transitioning trainees from mentor-derived funding to independent fellowship support. A corresponding
measure of program success will be an improvement in the number of publications at the time of graduation,
while maintaining our excellent record of time-to-degree completion. In addition, by providing enhanced
training for PERT students in mentoring, leadership and teamwork skills via the Peer-to-Peer Mentoring
network, this program will also help improve the quality of PMCB overall. Long-term outcomes will be
measured through tracking of career choices and evidence of success in biomedical research careers for
PERT trainees compared to the larger PMCB graduate cohort and other graduate training programs at OHSU.
Overall, we expect this enhanced training program to provide PERT trainees with a significant competitive
advantage in developing robust careers in...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9965985
- **Project number:** 5T32GM071338-15
- **Recipient organization:** OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** CHERYL L MASLEN
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $262,581
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2005-07-01 → 2021-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9965985

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9965985, Program in Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (5T32GM071338-15). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9965985. Licensed CC0.

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