The broad goals of the MBRS/SCORE Program at UPRM (University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez) are, first, to increase the competitiveness of UPRM science and engineering departments through greater participation in MBRS/SCORE. As 98% of UPRM enrollment and 72% of faculty are minority US citizens, these goals are consistent with the MBRS objective of increasing the number of underrepresented minorities conducing biomedical research through support of scientifically meritorious and biomedically relevant research by faculty members at minority serving institutions. The goals are also consistent with the published UPRM objectives of faculty development and support of competitive research. The specific goals are 1) Show success by investigators at meeting specific aims of each MBRS research project aimed at UPRM, 2) Increase number of peer-reviewed publications by MBRS researchers at UPRM, 3)Increase number of MBRS of MBRS-related presentations at national (US) research meetings by MBRS searchers at UPRM, 4) Promote transition of MBRS/SCORE investigators at UPRM to mainstream research funding such as R01 awards or funding from other agencies, 5) Increase the number of projects submitted as part of our institutional proposal to the MBRS/SCORE Program, and 6) Increase number of collaborating investigators with significant roles on UPRM MBRS projects. All goals but the first have specific, quantitative objectives tied to the existing baseline against which the performance of each project and investigator, and the program director will be evaluated. The first goal has qualitative objectives. Seven participating departments, Biology, Chemistry, Marine Sciences, Mathematics, Physics, Agronomy, and Chemical Engineering, have generated the 16 projects that are submitted with this proposal. Twenty-two faculty members from these departments are participating as principal investigators or associate investigators with a minimum of 25% effort. The 16 narrowly focused research projects combined to cover a wide range of biomedically relevant basic research. Areas of study ranges from mathematical simulation of disease processes to physical chemistry, molecular biology, biochemistry, natural products chemistry, methods of drug administration, molecular evolution, and animal behavior. The successful undertaking of these projects and the completion of the specific program goals will increase the competitiveness of our researchers and departments.
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