The University of North Florida’s Undergraduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement (U-RISE) program has received a five-year grant anticipated to be valued at over $1 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to help promote student success across UNF's diverse biology, chemistry, and physics undergraduate student population.
With assistance from the grant, the U-RISE program will support approximately 20 undergraduate student fellows who will receive full scholarships and stipends as they complete immersive research experiences at UNF and Mayo Clinic. They will also receive mentorship tailored toward their long-term goals and engage in an array of professional development and community outreach activities.
This suite of experiences is designed to prepare the undergraduate fellows for entry into biomedical science graduate programs and career paths. UNF’s U-RISE program will be the first of its kind in Northeast Florida and will ultimately strengthen UNF’s undergraduate research and teaching environment and the scientific workforce in Northeast Florida and beyond.
The U-RISE program is a team endeavor, with Dr. Amy Lane, UNF chemistry presidential professor, as principal investigator, and associate professors of biology Dr. Terri Ellis as co-principal investigator and Dr. Judy Ochrietor as senior key personnel, and includes essential mentorship roles from approximately 30 faculty members at UNF and Mayo Clinic.