Students in the Medical Scientist Training Program Achieve High NIH Fellowship Success Rates

Fifty percent of M.D./Ph.D. student applicants in the Medical Scientist Training Program at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine have received research fellowships from the National Institutes of Health—bringing in more than half a million dollars to the Miller School.

The MSTP is for students who will pursue careers as physician scientists combining medicine and research. The program is supported in part by a NIH/NIGMS T32 training grant, but fellowships are another key source of support.

Success doesn’t happen overnight, as the MSTP does its part in preparing students in various aspects of the grant application process. Through applying, students learn time management, the background of their field, how to develop aims and an experimental plan for their project, and other important grant-writing skills.

“Overall, this experience is a key training element of the MSTP,” said Sandra Lemmon, Ph.D., MSTP co-director and professor at the Miller School. “The students develop a structured set of training goals, ensuring they acquire the research and professional skills critical for their future careers.”

Setting Up Success

As part of the program, nearly all MSTP students apply for F30/31 grant applications from the National Institutes of Health. The F30 fellowship is awarded to promising predoctoral students pursuing dual doctoral degrees such as those enrolled in M.D./Ph.D. programs. Some M.D./Ph.D. students are also eligible for F31 awards that promote diversity in health-related research.

“Currently, 11 MSTP students have F30/31 awards,” Dr. Lemmon said. “Nearly all MSTP students apply, and 50% of those have had their F30/31 applications funded, resulting in an outstanding success rate.”

The MSTP program takes a hands-on approach, offering close mentoring as students develop their fellowships. Co-director Alessia Fornoni, M.D., Ph.D., works with students on their specific aims during their first year of graduate training. The program also hosts fellowship grant-writing workshops in partnership with the medical school and brings in faculty who have reviewed prior grants as speakers.

Student Value

MSTP students have been awarded F30/31 grants in a variety of disciplines including in the biomedical sciences, public health programs and biomedical engineering, working on basic science, translational, computational and drug discovery projects. Fellowships have been funded from NIH agencies on topics varying from immune function, infectious disease, diabetes, genetic disorders, cancer, neural injury and regeneration, and aging. “These showcase the students’ longer-term interests in many different medical specialties,” said Daniel Liebl, Ph.D., MSTP associate director.

“Writing the F30 fellowship was an invaluable experience that helped direct my research project,” said Caroline Coughlin, who is focusing on overcoming drug resistance in cancer. “Upon receiving the grant, the institutional allowance provided funding for me to attend conferences where I have been able to network and present my research.”

“In the short term, I have more freedom to pursue my own research interests since I am independently funded,” said Acacia Crouch, who is focusing on T cell mechanisms. “This has emboldened my research pursuits and allowed me to tackle questions that may have been otherwise cost-prohibitive. In the long term, the F30 is an ideal jumping-off point for my research career, as it helps build momentum to secure future funding.”

Tags: Dr. Daniel Liebl, Dr. Sandra Lemmon, dual degrees, medical students, Miller Schcool of Medicine, NIH Fellowships