Improving the experiences of underrepresented students in STEM at UCSF
Official title: UCSF IMSD
Funded at University of California, San Francisco · NIH-11018430 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is all about making sure that students from underrepresented backgrounds in STEM at UCSF feel more supported and satisfied during their graduate studies, so they can thrive and succeed just like their peers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Training grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | February 1, 2025 |
| Project end | April 30, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $368,172 |
| NIH project number | 1T32GM156671-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11018430 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for participation are graduate students from historically underrepresented and marginalized groups pursuing STEM degrees at UCSF.
✕Less likely to help
Students who are not from historically underrepresented or marginalized backgrounds may not receive direct benefits from this program.
What this research studies
This research focuses on enhancing the experiences of students from historically underrepresented and marginalized groups in STEM fields at UCSF. It aims to address the disparities in satisfaction and outcomes that these students face despite similar academic achievements compared to their peers. The program will implement social support initiatives designed to foster a supportive community, helping these students navigate their graduate education more effectively. By emphasizing positive experiences and successes, the research seeks to create a more inclusive environment that encourages participation in the scientific workforce.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved satisfaction and retention of underrepresented students in STEM, ultimately increasing diversity in the scientific workforce.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that social support programs can significantly improve the experiences and outcomes of underrepresented students in higher education.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Duncan, D'anne S. — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Duncan, D'anne S.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
How cancer cells use exosomes to evade the immune system
This study is looking at how cancer cells use tiny bubbles called exosomes to hide proteins that can keep your immune system from fighting the tumor, and by figuring this out, the researchers hope to help doctors understand why some people respond well to cancer treatments while others don’t, ultimately aiming to creat
-
Reducing harm from smoking using electronic cigarettes
This study is looking at whether using electronic cigarettes can be a safer option for people who smoke traditional cigarettes, by comparing the health effects and exposure to harmful substances between the two.
-
Understanding how knee pain and knee obesity and muscle loss affect knee osteoarthritis
This project looks at how knee swelling, excess knee fat, and muscle loss relate to pain and structural changes in knee osteoarthritis in adults.
-
Cutaneous opioid signals in skin inflammation
A mentor-identified clinician-researcher at UCSF is studying how natural skin opioids regulate itch and pain in inflammatory skin conditions like eczema and hidradenitis, with plans to map where these opioids come from and how they affect skin nerves.
-
Pooling international data to understand long-term bisphosphonate use and atypical femur fractures
This project combines large patient datasets from multiple countries to understand how long-term bisphosphonate use relates to rare hip and thigh bone fractures, helping doctors and patients make safer treatment choices.
-
Airway cell and immune cell talks in lung transplant failure
This grant tests how airway cells and immune cells interact to drive chronic rejection after lung transplant, with the goal of slowing or preventing scar-like damage.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.