Researcher Receives Grant to Increase Diversity in Graduate School Programs
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Wake Forest University School of Medicine has been awarded a grant of more than $1.4 million by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The grant is for more than $350,000 per year for four years to renew support for the Post Baccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP). PREP is a program that is designed for under-represented minority students and students from disadvantaged groups with baccalaureate degrees who are interested in pursuing graduate education. Selected students will be offered a one- to two-year training program in research where they will work with a strong research mentor who will provide a laboratory environment and guidance for the trainee. One goal of the program is to increase the number of minority students entering into and retained in biomedical sciences doctorate programs, both at the School of Medicine and elsewhere. “The previous years of funding had a significant impact on the diversity of our graduate programs in the biomedical sciences,” said Debra Diz, Ph.D., the director of the program and professor and interim director of the Hypertension & Vascular Research Center. “We are excited to continue this important program for another four years and look forward to providing the opportunity for research experiences for these students.” Some of the courses and information provided in the program will be resume writing, improving Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores, scientific writing and speaking, and other skills that will be helpful to the students as they pursue degrees and careers in biomedical or other research fields. The first group of nine students has already been selected and will begin the program on July 15.
