North Dakota INBRE Health and the Environment

University Of North Dakota, Grand Forks ND

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): North Dakota is a state with a large land mass and a small, widely dispersed rural population. These characteristics motivated the ND INBRE to focus narrowly and aggressively on providing opportunities for the State's under-served students to participate in undergraduate and K-12 activities that would stimulate interest in joining the Nation's health professional pipeline. To date, the ND INBRE has formed effective and productive partnerships with all the state-supported four year primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs) and all Tribal Colleges (TCUs) located within the borders of ND. In addition, the ND INBRE provides registration for all junior and senior high schools as encouragement for their students to participate in the regional, state, and national Science and Engineering Fair program. These partnerships are enhanced by successful efforts of the ND INBRE to improve and provide infrastructure to the research intensive universities (RlUs) and the PUI and TCU partners. These efforts will be continued in the current funding cycle with the additional participation of our community colleges in the summer undergraduate research program. The emphasis on undergraduate research will continue as the ND INBRE will fund 7 Research Development Grants at the 4 PUI institutions, 5 Student Powered Pilot Grants at the 5 Tribal Colleges, and 50 Summer Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowships primarily at the RIU institutions. The Transfer Stars program will encourage American Indian students graduating from 2 yr TCUs to complete their baccalaureate degrees and the Science and Engineering Fair program will encourage undergraduate enrollment in STEM programs at all ND institutions of higher learning. Following the award of the PUI and TCU research programs, competitive support for mentors and core infrastructure will be provided to the RIU institutions. The ND INBRE proposes to continue its outstanding performance in serving North Dakota's development of the next generation of biomedical research scientists and health professionals.