Abstract/Summary
The G-RISE program at Oklahoma State University will capitalize on the institution’s long-
standing commitment to diversity and the strength of its biomedical research programs to
increase the number of PhDs from underrepresented groups who train at OSU and successfully
transition into careers in biomedical research. To accomplish this goal, seven program
objectives have been developed. 1) Increase the diversity of pre-doctoral trainees in biomedical
research at OSU through targeted recruitment activities. 2) Promote rigor, reproducibility and
responsible conduct in biomedical research at OSU through a combination of workshops,
classroom instruction, and interactive activities. 3) Expose trainees to cutting-edge biomedical
science through seminars, programming, and workshops focused on research. 4) Enhance
trainees’ oral and written communication skills by providing them with the training and
opportunities to present their research in different formats to both scientific communities and the
general public. 5) Educate students about the range of career opportunities available for PhDs
in the biomedical scientists. 6) Retain talented biomedical sciences doctoral students within the
G-RISE program and ensure that their time-to-degree is not increased. 7) Ensure that trainees
are ready to transition from pre-doctoral training to the next step in their scientific career by the
completion of their program. OSU G-RISE will support 6 new trainees each year for up to 3
years, beginning the second year of their doctoral training. With 33 outstanding faculty mentors
from across 12 participating doctoral programs, students will have the opportunity to train in a
wide variety of fields, including physiology, pharmacology, comparative biomedical sciences,
medicinal chemistry, microbiology, immunology, virology, cell/molecular biology, biochemistry,
biomedical engineering, neuroscience, psychology and parasitology. The OSU G-RISE program
is well-grounded in strong institutional support and is ideally positioned to provide new
opportunities for exceptional students from underrepresented groups, as well as disadvantaged
and disabled students, to train for successful careers in biomedical research.