# Mentored Experiences in Research, Instruction and Teaching (MERIT) Program

> **NIH NIH K12** · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · 2020 · $772,568

## Abstract

From its beginning in 2009 and throughout its tenure, the mission of the Mentored
Experiences in Research, Instruction, and Teaching (MERIT) Program has been and continues
to be to train postdoctoral scholars to become tomorrow's leading researchers and
academicians. To achieve its mission, the primary goal of the MERIT Program remains
providing postdoctoral scholars with outstanding research and teaching experiences while
improving the recruitment of under-represented groups into the field of biomedical and
behavioral research.
 The MERIT Program is facilitated through a partnership of UAB, Stillman College,
Oakwood University and Lawson State Community College; all schools are located in Alabama
within a 100 mile radius. In this second competitive renewal, the research component continues
to incorporate laboratory-based instruction together with ethics training and professional skills
development, including instruction in grant writing and time and laboratory management. The
teaching component remains comprised of four key elements: i) teaching-related coursework; ii)
one-on-one mentoring of an undergraduate student; iii) course development; and iv) class-room
and on-line teaching experiences. New programmatic elements include new and expanded
partnerships at Stillman, Oakwood and Lawson State; enhanced academic job preparation;
culture awareness mentor training; increased MERIT Scholar resources; and expanded
institutional commitment.
 During the current grant period, assessment of the MERIT Program has indicated that: i)
its scholars have progressed in their research and teaching abilities and job placement
opportunities; ii) career development and the recruitment of underrepresented groups have
increased at the host institution; and iii) science-related curriculua, the number of
undergraduates applying to graduate programs in the biomedical sciences, and faculty research
collaborations have been enhanced at the partner institutions. Currently, the MERIT Program
funds nine training slots each year; in this application, we request to retain this same number of
training slots per year.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9999572
- **Project number:** 5K12GM088010-12
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM
- **Principal Investigator:** LISA M. SCHWIEBERT
- **Activity code:** K12 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $772,568
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2009-09-01 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9999572

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9999572, Mentored Experiences in Research, Instruction and Teaching (MERIT) Program (5K12GM088010-12). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9999572. Licensed CC0.

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