Maryland Infection, Immunization, Intervention, and Impact (M4I) Training Program

PROJECT SUMMARY The University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) is an international leader in infectious diseases research, particularly in the areas of vaccine development, HIV, global health, and genomics. UMSOM is also deeply committed to research education for medical students and instituted a requirement that all students engage in a hypothesis-driven scholarly activity. The M4I: Maryland Infection, Immunization, Intervention, and Impact Training Program builds a bridge between medical students and the extraordinary infectious diseases expertise at UMSOM. The program provides structured training and robust mentorship to inspire and prepare the next generation of infectious disease researchers. The program will enroll a diverse group of medical students to establish a cohort of trainees who will participate in formal research training and develop a hypothesis-driven research project with the support of their faculty mentors, methodological experts, and their peers. They will continue to work together as a longitudinal research track cohort for their medical school career, with opportunities to receive additional funding for research electives and more advanced training. The specific aims of the M4I project are to: 1) Inspire medical students to pursue careers in infectious diseases and research by leveraging UMSOM’s extensive portfolio of infectious diseases research; 2) Recruit and train a diverse cohort of medical students to engage in a meaningful, hypothesis-driven, infectious disease-oriented research experience; and 3) Enhance the research environment for medical students and expand the pipeline of medical students into the field of infectious diseases. We will collect data to assess our progress in achieving these aims, as well as the ability of students to meet their milestones, in a standardized manner. We will review our results regularly with an internal steering committee and through a thorough program evaluation with an external advisory board twice during the grant period. We will create a sustainable model to prepare a diverse and well-trained infectious diseases research workforce.