·         is one of the major developmental programs of the Division of Minority Opportunities in Research (MORE) of NIGMS at NIH.

·         the mission of MORE is to increase the number of individuals from groups underrepresented in the biomedical and behavioural sciences who pursue research training, are professionally engaged and/or occupy positions of leadership in these fields and to enhance the research and research training capabilities of minority-serving institutions (MSIs).

the objective of the SCoRE program is to foster the development of faculty at minority serving institutions in order to increase their research competitiveness and promote their transition to non-SCoRE external sources of funding.  Additionally, SCoRE seeks to enhance the institutional research capabilities to facilitate faculty research.  These objectives are expected to translate into an increase in the numbers of individuals from groups underrepresented in biomedical and behavioral research professionally engaged in these areas of research.

The MBRS Program at UPR-Río Piedras was established 35 years ago and from its inception has played a very important role in the research development at the College of Natural Sciences:

§         Has  exerted a very significant impact on the growth of the graduate programs in Biology and Chemistry, especially the doctoral programs.

§          Has been the major sustaining factor in the development of productive biomedical research and training.

§          Has helped researchers establish productive laboratories with the capability to effectively train graduate and postdoctoral students by providing release time and research funds.

§          Has involved undergraduate students in research and has stimulated them to pursue research oriented careers.

§          Has allowed young faculty to develop their expertise and to establish their presence in their respective research areas.

§         Has promoted the development of research facilities and infrastructure as well as the acquisition of state of the art equipment such as Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Genomic facilities, Communication infrastructure, Time fluorescence  spectrometer, X-ray diffractometer.

§          Has served as a powerful tool in the recruitment of new and talented faculty.

§          Has been instrumental in the institutionalization of new procedures for laboratory hygiene, animal care and human subjects, procedures for the timely procurement of research materials, thus creating a more productive and rigorous research environment.

1. To enhance the biomedical research competitiveness of the faculty (knowledge, skills and capabilities) by their participation in scientifically research meritorious research projects and by their involvement in associated activities.

      Specific Measurable Objectives

§         Increase by at least four the number of faculty involved in biomedical research projects at UPR-Río Piedras Campus

§         Increase the level of research productivity of current PIs in terms of their contribution to new knowledge and their significance to actual or potential understanding of basic phenomena and/or improvement of health.

      Indicators:

§         Increase the number of applications for competitive extramural funding submitted and obtained by all participating faculty.

§         Increase the level of research productivity as measured by the number of publications in peer reviewed journals from the current average number of 3.8 to 4.4 yearly publications.

§         Increase the number of presentations in local and international meetings from the current average number of 8 yearly presentations to 10.

§         Increase the number of effective collaborations with scientists at research intensive institutions.

§         Increase the research productivity of SCoRE faculty and research staff in terms of significant honors and awards obtained.

2. To improve the career options of qualified graduate, undergraduate, and postdoctoral students engaged in biomedical research.

      Specific Measurable Objectives

§         Increase from 19 to 21 the number of faculty who serve as mentors in biomedical research for graduate and undergraduate students.

§         Increase by ten percent the number of qualified and productive graduate and undergraduate students involved in biomedical research projects.

3. To strengthen the institutional commitment of UPR-Río Piedras to biomedical research.

 Specific Measurable Objectives

§         Secure institutional commitment to the improvement of the infrastructure and environment necessary to support biomedical research.

§         Ensure a firm commitment form the Institution to provide the release time requested in the proposal.

Support the role of the MBRS SCoRE Program Director’s as a facilitator between the Institution's Administration and the SCoRE investigators.