Enhancing Research

        The mission of the Nebraska IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (NE-INBRE) is to stimulate and develop biomedical research capacity at institutions of higher education in Nebraska. The NE-INBRE is structured around two major components: primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs) and PhD granting research institutions (RIs). Support for each PUI consists of campus research capacity development through support for faculty research and infrastructure enhancement, and development of the undergraduate research pipeline of students through the NE-INBRE Scholars program. Expanding research capacity at the RIs includes providing significant support to multiuser core facilities in order to allow investigators from PUIs and RIs access to cutting-edge technology. The eleven participating PUIs in the NE-INBRE research network include publicly supported State Colleges, campuses of the University of Nebraska system, and private institutions. The three participating RIs in the research network include two campuses of the University of Nebraska system and one privately supported medical center (Creighton University). Cutting-edge multiuser core facilities include cores in genomics, data science, and advanced microscopy. The three themes reflect the scientific foci of the NE-INBRE, infectious diseases, cancer biology, and cell signalling. These themes serve to link faculty and students at the separate institutions into productive networks based on their areas of expertise and interest. Throughout the tenure of the NE-INBRE, its primary objective at the undergraduate level has been to provide and expand research opportunities for students and create a pipeline of students to enter into biomedical research and other health professions. NE-INBRE investments in faculty research projects and infrastructure at the PUIs have created opportunities for both NE-INBRE Scholars and other undergraduate students to become involved in advanced biomedical research.

      Goals of the NE-INBRE: 1) Strengthen the biomedical research capacity in Nebraska; 2) Build on established scientific focus areas in Nebraska (Infectious Diseases, Cell Signaling, and Cancer Biology); 3) Provide access to research resources to increase the number of competitive investigators in Nebraska; 4) Provide hands-on lab experiences and research opportunities for Nebraska undergraduates; 5) Serve as a pipeline for undergraduates to continue in health research careers; and 6) Enhance awareness and knowledge of science and technology in Nebraska’s workforce.

     A $17.2 million grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health supports the Nebraska Institutional Development Award Program Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence program, better known as the NE-INBRE program.