INBRE award renewed for $16.2 million

The success of the Institutional Development Award Program (IDeA) Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) program based at UNMC has led to the renewal of the National Institutes of Health grant that supports it to the tune of $16.2 million for another five years.

The grant is overseen by principal investigator Jim Turpen, Ph.D., associate vice chancellor for academic affairs and a professor in the UNMC Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy.

“I believe the main reason the grant was renewed is because we are accomplishing the goals of the program,” Dr. Turpen said.

To date, Dr. Turpen said, 324 undergraduates students from across the state have taken part in the INBRE scholars portion of the program, 27 percent of the graduates have continued on to graduate school, 28 percent have entered professional schools and 20 percent have taken jobs in the scientific workforce.

Recently the program was recognized by Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts, who issued a proclamation declaring today Undergraduate Research Day.

“It’s an honor for the program to be recognized for the value it brings to the scientifically educated and biomedical workforce in Nebraska,” Dr. Turpen said.

Established in 2001, the INBRE program was created to

• expose students to serious biomedical research;
• build a statewide biomedical research infrastructure between undergraduate and graduate institutions;
• strengthen the infrastructure of undergraduate institution; and
• increase the capacity of undergraduate institutions to conduct cutting-edge biomedical and behavioral research.

Students from eight different undergraduate colleges enter the program after completing their sophomore year of college upon recommendation by their college professors.

The students are given a two-year scholarship and spend 10 weeks each summer conducting research on either their home campus or at UNMC, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln or Creighton University.

This year 24 scholars will present their work at the annual INBRE meeting, being held today and tomorrow at the Holiday Inn-Downtown, 141 N. Ninth St., in Lincoln.