Inter American University of Puerto Rico (IAUPR) is the largest private non-profit institution in Puerto Rico, with a student enrollment of over 41,000 on eight campuses throughout the island. IAUPR was founded in 1912 and accredited in 1944 by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, the first institution outside the continental United States to receive such approval. IAUPR has always played a major role in higher education in Puerto Rico. Today it enrolls 25% of all university students and almost 40% of all private university students in Puerto Rico. The university serves mainly minority students from socio- economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Over 95% of the students are Puerto Rican, and 58% are women. The University seeks to participate in the Extramural Associates Research Development Award to increase the level of participation of faculty and students in biomedical and behavioral research and research training activities, to improve the quality of the University's educational programs, and to contribute to the health status of the population. Specifically, the proposed institutional plan is designed to: assist faculty and students in pre- and post-award activities; stimulate collaborative research; support pilot projects; and assess progress and implement improvements of the OSBR. As an Extramural Associates Institution, IAUPR is submitting the present application to enhance the effectiveness of its newly established Office of Sponsored Biomedical Research. Requested are funds to staff, equip, organize, and evaluate the OSBR.
