These scholars represent our best young scientific minds. After a competitive admissions process, the National Institutes of Health selected 55 talented and diverse students, representing 37 U.S.-accredited universities to participate in the Medical Research Scholars Program (MRSP). The scholars, the largest class to date, began their yearlong residential program on September 1st.

The MRSP introduces medical, dental and veterinary students to cutting-edge research, part of NIH’s goal of training the next generation of clinician-scientists and biomedical researchers. The program places creative, research-oriented students in NIH laboratories and clinics, including within the NIH Clinical Center, to conduct basic, clinical or translational research in areas that match their career interests and research goals.

A mentored research training experience forms the core of this program and allows these future clinician-scientists and biomedical researchers to carry out research across the full spectrum of science in the interest of improving public health.

These selected participants include 54 medical and one dental student and include 25 females and 13 from underrepresented minority groups.

In addition to a rigorous research agenda, MRSP scholars participate in courses, journal club seminars, a structured lecture series and clinical teaching rounds. They also present their research to the NIH community and at domestic professional conferences. Each scholar is assigned a tutor/advisor, who provides guidance in defining a well-articulated career development plan and in selecting a dedicated NIH research mentor. Mentors are fulltime NIH investigators with established basic, clinical or translational research programs.

The MRSP is co-sponsored by the NIH and other partners, including the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, American Association for Dental Research, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Colgate-Palmolive Company and other private donors, via contributions to the Foundation for the NIH.

Interested in shaping the future of medical research by supporting the MRSP program? Click here to make a donation today.