Program Summary
Morehouse School of Medicine’s (MSM) proposes a G-RISE training and career
development program with the objective of addressing the deficits of biomedical scientists from
underrepresented communities in the biomedical research workforce. A recent external review
of MSM’s Graduate Education in Biomedical Sciences (GEBS) Program revealed that while
the program’s success has been satisfactory in terms of persistence in the PhD curriculum and
graduation, there is the continued need for tuition support for PhD students, skills development
to increase competitiveness, expanding the pool of potential mentors, and expanding
knowledge and preparation for academic and non-academic biomedical careers particularly in
data science, bioinformatics and genomics.
We propose two specific goals and objectives of the proposed G-RISE program. In
Goal 1, we will support pre-doctoral graduate students in completing the Ph.D. Program
with the knowledge base and skill set that will make them competitive for the
biomedical research workforce. In Goal 2, we will leverage MSM Centers and Institutes,
Student Learning Communities, and the Office of Career Connections to enhance the
graduate experience and prepare G-RISE Scholars for academic and non-academic
biomedical careers. The anticipated milestones include; increased numbers of abstracts
accepted for presentation and increased numbers of published manuscripts; reach the optimal
average graduation rate of 90% for G-RISE Scholars with an average of 80% of them entering
the biomedical research workforce; expanding the data science, bioinformatics and
genomic curricula; and increasing the quality and diversity of the mentor pool available to G-
RISE Scholars and the overall graduate program.
To accomplish these milestones, the G-RISE Program will include hands-on, focused
skill development workshops; fellowship application development mini-camps; and active
learning training for investigators. Sponsored seminars will include; seminars given by
scientific leaders in their respective fields; student-led seminars to develop scientific
presentation skills; and career development seminars. Additionally, the G-RISE program staff
will enhance the academic experience of graduate students through Learning Communities,
career exploration via the Office of Career Connections, and provide exposure to rapidly
developing fields such as Data Science, Bioinformatics and Genomics.