In 2016-2017, NIMHD continued its collaboration with the NIH Clinical Center, Office of Clinical Research Training and Medical Education on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Medical Research Scholars Program (MSRP). MSRP is a public-private partnership supported jointly by the NIH and the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the American Association for Dental Research, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and the Colgate-Palmolive Company, as well as alumni of student research programs and other individual supporters. NIMHD provided $120,925 of support for the MRSP to encourage and promote the expansion of recruitment and diversity of the incoming class of 2017-2018. The MRSP offers a yearlong mentored research experience in clinical and translational medical research for medical, nursing, osteopathic and veterinary students on the NIH Bethesda campus. Students selected for the program are supported by a stipend and resources for educational enrichment, including housing and travel to scientific meetings. NIMHD extramural and intramural personnel are closely involved in outreach efforts to increase the awareness of this program to university and medical professional schools that are training a large percentage of under-represented minorities. This includes online seminars to discuss the application process and the criteria school deans' offices should use for recommending potential applicants.
