Project Title: West Virginia IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence

PI:  RANKIN, GARY O. (rankin@marshall.edu)

West Virginia has been designated as a State that has a historically low success rate in obtaining grant awards from the National Institutes of Health. Marshall University (MU), in partnership with West Virginia University (VVVU), was awarded a Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network (BRIN) award to begin to build a collaborative effort to sponsor research at WV undergraduate institutions. The current WV-INBRE (IDEA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence) application will build on the foundation of the successes of the WV-BRIN award. To this end, MU, in partnership with WVU, serve as lead institutions to a research network consisting of twelve undergraduate institutions. The multi-disciplinary research theme for this network is cellular and molecular biology with an emphasis on cardiovascular disease. Five undergraduate institutions with seven research projects have been identified as full Network Research Institutions (NRI), and seven institutions have been designated Network Outreach Institutions (NOIs). Collectively, these schools comprise the heart of the WV research network. Administrative, Bioinformatics and Outreach Cores have been established to facilitate the research progress, mentoring and training, and career development of scientists and students at the NRIs and NOIs. The successful Appalachian Cardiovascular Research Network (ACoRN) developed during WVBRIN has been expanded in scope. Programs are proposed to provide research opportunities for undergraduates students that will help serve as a pipeline for these students into health related research careers. Significant activity in outreach to NOIs will be made to enhance their potential to become an NRI. In addition, through providing numerous workshops, seminars from in-state and out-of-state scientists, research training and mentoring, and access to state-of-the-art core facilities, WV-INBRE will help enhance the science and technology knowledge base of the WV workforce.