SW New Mexico News

New Mexico State University has been awarded a $1.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to support the training of undergraduate researchers over the next five years. The grant, provided by the NIH National Institute of General Medical Sciences, will specifically fund NMSU’s Undergraduate Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (U-RISE) Program.

Graciela Unguez, NMSU Regents professor in biology and principal investigator for the project, explained the program's mission, stating, “The mission is to recruit students from underrepresented communities, students who have been historically marginalized from joining biomedical research. Our goal is to train them, support them and prepare them to move on to graduate work in the biomedical and bio-behavioral sciences.”

Merranda Marin, co-principal investigator and assistant professor in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, emphasized the importance of actively practicing diversity and inclusion in the program, saying, “There's a lot of talk about diversity, equity and inclusion, but there's a difference between talking about it and practicing it. What we want to do is make sure that we're reaching out across New Mexico and really tapping into the talent here and sharing what is available with our students.”

The U-RISE Program at NMSU aims to train 45 undergraduate scholars over the next five years through a comprehensive research education program. Marin highlighted the program's focus on creating inclusive and affirming environments for students, stating, “We want to create space for them to maximize their understanding of research and their place in it and maybe put them on a pathway towards a career in the biomedical field which they may not have considered in the past.”

Unguez expressed confidence in the innovative approach of the U-RISE Program, citing the university's strong support and successful track record with previous NIH-funded undergraduate research training programs. She emphasized the program's goal of increasing the diversity of trainees from various fields, stating, “Our goal is to increase the diversity of trainees from all the fields through the U-RISE Program.”

The U-RISE Program at NMSU builds on the success of previous NIH-funded training programs, including the Minority Biomedical Research Support (MBRS) RISE and the Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) programs. Unguez noted the importance of recruiting the first cohort this summer, stressing the relevance of biomedical sciences across disciplines and the potential for students from various majors to contribute to advancing the field.

With a focus on fostering equitable, inclusive, and diverse scientific environments, the U-RISE Program at NMSU is poised to make a significant impact in training the next generation of biomedical researchers.

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