South Carolina IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (SC INBRE)

University Of South Carolina At Columbia, Columbia SC

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

The South Carolina IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (SC INBRE) is a state-wide network whose goals are to enhance and strengthen the biomedical research culture and infrastructure at network institutions while increasing access to undergraduate research training opportunities for students across the state, creating a pipeline to build the future biomedical research workforce. During the current funding cycle of SC INBRE IV, over 900 students were trained in biomedical research labs throughout the SC INBRE network. SC INBRE faculty and students produced over 200 publications and gave 760 presentations during this funding cycle while network PUIs acquired over $9 million dollars in extramural funding from a variety of federal and non-federal sources. We will build upon these successes in SC INBRE V. The network’s reach across the state will expand to sixteen institutions, three Comprehensive Research Universities and thirteen Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs), including two new PUIs, with long-time network members serving as role models for these new institutions. The Administrative Core, in addition to providing fiscal and administrative support, will organize a variety of career and professional development activities for faculty and students, including opportunities to network and develop collaborations with SC INBRE colleagues. Expanding upon our previous bioinformatics focus, in SC INBRE V our new Data Science Core will provide workshops and hands-on training opportunities for faculty and students seeking to analyze big data in multiple types of biomedical research projects. The Developmental Research Project Program, through Research Project and Pilot Project grants, will support early-career faculty seeking to establish and grow their research programs or enable investigators to collect critical data to advance current biomedical projects while enhancing competitiveness for further funding. SC INBRE will continue to promote undergraduate research training at network PUIs through the Student Research Program as well as providing a unique opportunity for students to develop a mentored-research project through the Student-initiated Research Project grant. To further expand its impact on student training, SC INBRE will also provide research opportunities for students attending South Carolina institutions outside of the network, maximizing the impact SC INBRE can have on student training. The proposed alterations and renovations at four PUIs will expand research opportunities at those institutions by increasing biomedical research capacity through additional research space or installation of critical fixed equipment. Through the program proposed, SC INBRE V will continue to have a profound impact on biomedical research at institutions across South Carolina.