PREP-MT: Providing Research Education for Postbaccalaureate Trainees in Montana - Building and maintaining a strong, well-educated biomedical research workforce is important for continuous research progress in the life sciences, both at research universities and in the biomedical industries. Doctoral degree programs in the biomedical sciences provide excellent training opportunities, but generally require successful applicants to have gained significant research experience prior to enrollment. Not all talented students are able to gain such research experience during their undergraduate education. To bridge this gap, we have designed an evidence-based postbaccalaureate program, PREP-MT, to prepare bachelor’s graduates who have limited research experience for a successful transition into doctoral degree programs in the biomedical sciences. PREP-MT will equip recent bachelor’s graduates (PREP scholars) with the experience, confidence, knowledge, and research skills to become highly successful PhD students and graduates. Specifically, our program will pursue the following Specific Aims: (1) Provide in-depth, mentored biomedical research experiences to PREP-MT scholars; (2) Enable PREP-MT to develop professional and career skills relevant to a successful career in biomedical science; (3) Build a professional support network for the PREP-MT scholars that provides them with the resources to successfully pursue graduate research careers. Additionally, we will perform regular program evaluations, incorporate changes to improve the PREP-MT program, and disseminate our findings to appropriate audiences. Our program is highly feasible, because PREP-MT is synergistically integrated with established undergraduate and graduate research training programs at MSU, increasing the opportunities for the scholars and maximizing our resources. Our multi-PI leadership team is uniquely positioned to manage the proposed program, since we have a strong background in leading collaborative research, mentorship, and program management. More than 30 faculty with biomedical research programs from ten departments who have demonstrated a commitment to training the next generation of scientists have agreed to serve as mentors for the PREP-MT program. All mentors will receive mentorship training through the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experience in Research and other opportunities offered by MSU’s Center for Faculty Excellence. In summary, we are confident that the PREP-MT program will significantly enhance biomedical workforce development by increasing the access of talented bachelor’s graduates to high-quality PhD programs and impactful careers.
