U.S. DEPARTMENT OF

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health

National Institute of General Medical Sciences

21st Century Scientists

Research Training Opportunities for

Underrepresented Minorities
his is a time of rapid advances and tremendous opportunities

in the biomedical and behavioral sciences. Future discoveries

will require well-trained scientists from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines, including people prepared to address the

health problems that disproportionately affect minority and medically

underserved populations.

To help meet this need, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has a

variety of programs to increase the number of minorities pursuing

careers in biomedical and behavioral research. This brochure

describes programs offered by NIH’s National Institute of General

Medical Sciences (NIGMS), which has a long-standing commitment

to increasing the number of minority biomedical and behavioral

scientists through its Division of Minority Opportunities in Research

(MORE). The Division provides support at the undergraduate,

graduate, postdoctoral, and faculty levels.

For additional information about MORE, visit its Web site at

http://www.nigms.nih.gov/minority or see the contact information

at the end of this publication.

We can help you be a part of the excitement of science. 

Read on to find out how, then go online or contact us to learn more. 

T
UNDERGRADUATE OPPORTUNITIES

MORE undergraduate programs often provide 

students with their first experience performing

“hands-on” science in a research lab. These grants,

made to minority-serving institutions that then 

select the students to be supported, may also offer

workshops, special classes, and opportunities to 

attend scientific meetings. Students may receive

stipends, tuition and fee allowances, or salaries 

for doing research.

PREDOCTORAL SUPPORT

At the graduate level, MORE programs assist students

who are pursuing a Ph.D., M.D.-Ph.D., or another

combined professional degree-Ph.D. in the biomedical

or behavioral sciences. MORE also sponsors institutional programs to assist individuals in making the

transition from master’s degree to Ph.D. programs.

Predoctoral grants provide a stipend and fee allowance

or a salary and fringe benefits, as well as funds for

tuition, supplies, equipment, and travel.

POSTDOCTORAL FUNDING

After completing the Ph.D. or another advanced

degree, individuals can receive additional support

from MORE. For example, one program combines 

a traditional postdoctoral research experience at a

research-intensive institution with the opportunity to

develop teaching skills through mentored assignments

at a minority-serving institution. This facilitates the

progress of postdoctoral scientists toward research 

and teaching careers in academia, provides a resource

to motivate the next generation of scientists, and 

promotes connections between minority-serving 

and research-intensive institutions.

FACULTY DEVELOPMENT

To enable faculty members at minority-serving

institutions to enhance their research skills,

MORE offers faculty predoctoral fellowships 

and a program in which faculty members spend

time in research-intensive university laboratories.

MORE also sponsors senior fellowships that

provide faculty members at minority-serving

institutions with a year of intensive research at 

a state-of-the-art research institution. Ideally,

these awards lead to long-term collaborations

between the grantee and the faculty of the

research-intensive institution.

RESEARCH FUNDING

MORE helps faculty members at minorityserving institutions develop competitive research

programs by funding research projects (including

pilot projects) in all areas of biomedical and

behavioral science.

INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

MORE supports developmental activities that

enhance the research environment at minorityserving institutions. Such activities include

innovative courses that increase the interest,

skills, and competitiveness of students and 

science faculty in pursuit of biomedical and

behavioral research careers. Limited funds may

also be available to purchase equipment and 

to renovate or remodel existing facilities to

provide the space needed to implement the

developmental activities.

TORSTEN WITTMANN
OTHER SUPPORT

The Division supports and organizes meetings

and other activities that promote minority participation in biomedical and behavioral research.

MORE also collaborates with the Indian Health

Service on a special program that links the Native

American community with organizations that

conduct health research. The program encourages

research on diseases relevant to American Indians

and Alaska Natives, and it prepares Native

American scientists and health professionals to

compete for NIH funding.

In addition to the programs described above, there

are other NIH activities that attract and encourage

individuals from diverse backgrounds to pursue

biomedical and behavioral research careers. One 

of these provides supplements to existing research

grants, enabling people at the high school through

faculty levels to work in the labs of scientists

holding the grants. Another makes grants to institutions for predoctoral and postdoctoral training

programs; the institutions select the students to 

be supported with these funds.

MORE INFORMATION

MORE programs are open to individuals of all

racial and ethnic groups whose participation

leads to the achievement of the Division’s goals.

While institutions that receive MORE grants

determine underrepresentation in their settings,

minorities underrepresented in the biomedical

and behavioral sciences historically include, but

are not limited to, African Americans, Hispanic

Americans, Native Americans (including Alaska

Natives), and natives of the U.S. Pacific Islands.

NIGMS encourages individuals from underrepresented minority groups to apply for any

NIGMS grant for which they qualify.

For detailed information on MORE programs,

including eligibility requirements, application

receipt dates, and program descriptions, see

http://www.nigms.nih.gov/minority or contact:

Division of Minority Opportunities in Research

National Institute of General Medical Sciences

National Institutes of Health

45 Center Drive MSC 6200

Bethesda, MD 20892-6200

301-594-3900

info@nigms.nih.gov

CAROLYN LARABELL
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COM

MUNITY COLLEGE STUDENT

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT

M

ASTER’S STUDENT

POSTBACCALAUREATE STUDENT

PH.D. STUDENT

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW

FACULTY MEMBER

OTHER

PROGRAM

Bridges to the Baccalaureate 

Degree 

Research Initiative for Scientific

Enhancement 

Undergraduate Student Training in

Academic Research 

Initiative for Maximizing Student

Diversity 

Post-Baccalaureate Research Education 

Bridges to the Doctoral Degree 

Institutional Research and 

Academic Career Development 

Individual Predoctoral Fellowships

Institutional Training Grants

Support of Continuous Research 

Excellence

Faculty Predoctoral Fellowships

Faculty Senior Fellowships

Faculty Development 

Research Supplements to Promote

Diversity in Health-Related Research

Ancillary Training Activities 

Native American Research Centers 

for Health

Program Overview by Career Stage

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF 

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health

National Institute of General Medical Sciences

NIH Publication No. 06-5766

March 2006

http://www.nigms.nih.gov

DISCRIMINATION PROHIBITED: Under provisions of applicable public

laws enacted by Congress since 1964, no person in the United States

shall, on the grounds of race, color, national origin, handicap, or 

age, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or 

be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity (or, on

the basis of sex, with respect to any education program or activity)

receiving Federal financial assistance. In addition, Executive Order

11141 prohibits discrimination on the basis of age by contractors and

subcontractors in the performance of Federal contracts, and Executive

Order 11246 states that no federally funded contractor may discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of

race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Therefore, the programs 

of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences must be operated

in compliance with these laws and Executive Orders.

ACCESSIBILITY: This publication can be made available in formats that

are more accessible to people with disabilities. To request this material

in a different format or to order additional copies, contact the NIGMS

Office of Communications and Public Liaison at 301-496-7301, TDD

301-402-6327; send e-mail to info@nigms.nih.gov; or write to the

office at the following address: 45 Center Drive MSC 6200, Bethesda,

MD 20892-6200. If you have questions about this publication, you can

use the same contact information to reach the writer, Susan Athey.

To learn more about the basic research and training that NIGMS

supports and the funding opportunities it offers, go to

http://www.nigms.nih.gov.