The objectives of the Biomedical Research Component of RCMI are to support and expand the existing research capablilities and expertise of Departmental faculty, increase research productivity, and expand faculty research involvement both within the University and with other institutions. In addition to faculty support, this program provides financial assistance to graduate students. The objective of the program is to increase the number of well-prepared minority students who can compete successfully for entry into graduate programs leading to the Ph.D. degree in biomedical science. Students receive full funding. The Minority High School Student Research Apprentice Program offers outstanding minority students the opportunity to gain research experience by working with faculty members in their area of interest.
Students receive full funding.
Tennessee State University, Fisk University, and Meharry Medical College joined forces in 1994, attracted support from the National Institutes of Health and established a bridge from the master's degree programs in the sciences at Tennessee State University and Fisk University to the Ph.D. degree program at Meharry. The objectives of this program are to increase the number of minority persons holding terminal degrees in the biomedical sciences and establish collaborative research linkages between the faculties of these institutions. BPAP provides financial assistance to the participants, and these students gain automatic acceptance into the Meharry Ph.D. program. Faculty research programs include studies in neurochemistry, plant genetics and physiology, gene expression, molecular biology, and environmental health. These funded research projects have allowed for student participation and support, as well as the acquisition of scientific equipment and instruments which have led to the development of highly successful research programs.