Research Training
MUSC emphasizes research career development at all levels, from pre-baccalaureate to junior faculty. The institution ranks in the top quartile of domestic educational institutions in terms of number of NIH grants for research training. To support undergraduate students who come from other institutions for research training on the MUSC campus, MUSC has obtained competitive grants from several NIH institutes and centers (e.g., NIGMS, NHLBI, NCMHD) and other federal sponsors (e.g., NSF and NASA. Additional NIH grants from NIDDK, NHLBI and NIDCR support summer research opportunities for medical, dental, and other health professional students at MUSC. An NIH Roadmap Research Grant (T32 HD052274) offers health professional students the opportunity to pursue an MS or PhD degree in Clinical and Translational Research. Numerous other NIH institutional training awards (T32s) annually support approximately 40 predoctoral and 40 postdoctoral training slots in areas such as addictions and substance abuse, bioinformatics, biostatistics, cancer, cardiovascular disease, environmental stress signaling, health services research, kidney disease, inflammatory and fibrosing diseases, substance abuse, and aging. Support for graduate (PhD) students includes NIGMS awards for diversity (R25 GM072643) and dual degree (MD/PhD) pathways (T32 GM008716), an NIDCR grant for comprehensive research training in oral and craniofacial health (T32 DE017551), and two U.S. Department of Education Graduate Assistantship in Areas of National Need (GAANN) programs. MUSC offers clinically trained postgraduates a Master of Science in Clinical Research (initiated with a K30 Curriculum Award). FY2007 enrollment includes 171 PhD students, 50 MD/PhD students, 6 DMD/PhD students, 1 PharmD/PhD student, 26 Nursing PhD students, 16 MS students, and 36 junior faculty and advanced trainees in the Master of Science in Clinical Research (MSCR) curriculum. More than 225 postdoctoral research fellows are working in laboratories within basic science and clinical departments. These research trainees are supported by research grants and competitive fellowships (e.g., F and K awards from NIH) as well as the institutional training grants mentioned above. In addition, at least 9 NIH center grants at MUSC (P awards) include support for postdoctoral and/or junior faculty research training and career development components.