The NIH/NIGMS-funded IMSD (Initiative for Maximizing Student Development) program is an NIH T32 National Research Service Award Program that provides financial and training support for doctoral students for the first three years of their training. This training is stage-dependent and progressive and builds upon on the successes and infrastructure of our UTSA MBRS and RISE PhD programs, which were active for over 35 years.

UTSA became eligible for an IMSD program due to dramatic increases in NIH research funding and received our first award in Spring 2023.

Mission

The overarching mission of IMSD at UTSA is to assist PhD students from underrepresented groups to attain their doctoral degrees in the biomedical and behavioral sciences. It will also assist our trainees and others to develop as exceptional leaders and researchers and launch into successful careers in biomedical or behavioral sciences.

Participants

Each year, IMSD at UTSA will select eight incoming trainees from the following PhD Programs:

  • Biomedical Engineering (BME: based at UTSA)
  • Chemistry (CHE: research must be biomedically focused)
  • Developmental and Regenerative Sciences (DRS)
  • Molecular Microbiology and Immunology (MMI)
  • Neuroscience (NEU)
  • Physics (PHY: research must be biomedically focused)
  • Psychology (PSY)

Additional trainees from these programs may go through the selection process and affiliate with IMSD on an unfunded basis (IMSD-2), with the promise that they will fully engage with the program's training cycle.

Training

IMSD at UTSA training is progressive and begins with topics designed to provide foundations for all subsequent training as well as doctoral program success.

Trainees will be coached on scientific communication skills, career planning, and strategies on growing as a leader and professional. Trainees have multiple opportunities to practice their scientific communication skills in progressively rigorous environments, including poster, oral, and three-minute thesis presentations. They will also have opportunities to mentor undergraduate researchers, connect with IMSD trainees from UT Health San Antonio, and network with our RISE and MARC alumni.

A detailed three-year training schedule is under development.