The Initiative for Maximizing Student Development at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School (IMSD) program is funded by grant T32 GM135751 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The goal of this National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) program is to support educational programs that seek to increase diversity in the biomedical, behavioral and clinical research fields.

The UMass Chan IMSD program provides programming that facilitates the ongoing success of participating graduate students. These efforts include:

1)     Professional development sessions that prepare PhD students to thrive as independent scientific researchers.

2)     Enhanced faculty advising. Each IMSD trainee is assigned a faculty advisor for one-on-one advising through the end of the second year of PhD study.

3)     Career development and networking opportunities via –

1. Financial support to attend and present at national scientific and career development meetings
2. Networking events with UMass Chan leaders, as well as other local and regional leaders in academia and industry
3. Close interaction with the UMass Chan Center for Biomedical Career Development.

 Through these efforts, the UMass Chan IMSD expects to positively impact the training experience of supported trainees. This impact will translate into higher completion rates, shorter time to degree, and successful transition to the career path of choice.