The MBRS Program at TWU was established under the auspices of the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of General Medical Sciences to promote interest among students traditionally underrepresented in the fields of biomedical research.  Texas Woman’s University in Denton was initially awarded its first grant in 1989.  This student-oriented program has been continuously funded through numerous grant cycles since its inception.  Our current grant awarded nearly $2 million funding through March of 2010. Application for future funding is under review.

The program offers students at both the graduate and undergraduate levels an opportunity to work under the supervision of established researchers and to receive on-the-job training, with pay as they learn the most current laboratory research techniques.  All employment is at the Texas Woman's University Denton campus.  Our entry hourly pay rate is well above minimum wage for undergraduate students employed by the program during their four-year education here at TWU.  At the graduate level, the MBRS Program provides full payment of student tuition and fees for a maximum of two years, in addition to Graduate Research Assistant level wages.  Employment is continguent upon meeting the continuation criteria at each review cycle.  Presently, we have principal investigator/faculty mentors and students participating in the program within the departments of biology, chemistry, kinesiology, nutrition and psychology.  We now have the opportunity to expand into the area of computer science, as well as mathematics.  Supply funds are budgeted on behalf of each student for the laboratory research supplies that are necessary to work on the selected research project.

In addition to the student wages available through the MBRS program, there are funds designated for travel to present research results at an annual national scientific meeting.  Our students have participated in the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students, the American Chemical Society annual meetings, the Society for Neuroscience conferences, the Texas Genetics Society, and the Association for Psychological Science, and numerous other conferences.