RI-INBRE Overall Project Summary The overarching goal of the Rhode Island IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (RI-INBRE) is to improve institutional capacity for biomedical research excellence and student experiential training in the State of Rhode Island. We will accomplish this goal by growing statewide institutional research capacity, supporting early career investigator development, and providing structured and mentored research training experiences for undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. RI-INBRE comprises all nine universities and colleges in RI, including two research-intensive institutions, six Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs) and one community college. Two of these, Rhode Island College and Community College of Rhode Island, are Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI). The University of Rhode Island (URI) is the lead institution of RI-INBRE and serves as the network administrative and assessment hub. RI-INBRE will be comprised of four major organizational units, including the Administrative Core, the Data Science – Molecular Informatics Core, the Centralized Research Core Facility, and the Developmental Research Project Program. The biomedical research landscape in Rhode Island has been transformed by over 20 years of NIH IDeA funding. These changes include a dramatic shift in institutional research culture and capacity at the network PUIs, an increased number of students from network institutions who pursue biomedical careers, and the availability of cutting-edge instruments for all biomedical investigators in RI. One of RI-INBRE’s hallmarks is the willingness to evaluate and evolve the program to meet the changing needs of the biomedical research community. In this renewal period, we will continue to innovate to tackle our programmatic challenges and expand the program’s impact in Rhode Island. We will modify our award mechanisms will help investigators navigate challenging developmental milestones. In addition, we will leverage our well-maintained instrument core facilities to create a new workforce training program, which will complement our existing student training efforts and generate a pool of trainees well- prepared to enter the biomedical workforce. We will continue to leverage and promote our data science and equipment core facilities to provide critical research capacity for biomedical investigators across RI and help connect academic and industry investigators. We will also establish a RI-INBRE Faculty Scholar position to provide critical new areas of expertise. We will intentionally train a diverse group of students to improve representation in the biomedical professions. These unique and innovative approaches will help evolve and enhance our efforts to promote investigator and institutional development and strengthen the biomedical landscape in RI.

RI-INBRE Narrative RI-INBRE is a network comprised of all nine universities and colleges in Rhode Island. RI-INBRE support of biomedical research in RI has significantly improved faculty-driven research and student training. This has helped position RI to substantially contribute to biomedical research in the region and the nation. Continued support of RI-INBRE is necessary to realize the full potential of this biomedical capacity building. Additional investment in the robust biomedical research framework in RI will maintain this upward trajectory, sustain the return on investments, and enhance the state's appeal as a destination for innovative research and biomedical investment.