Call For Letters of Intent: Innovations to Advance Pathways and Bridges to Medicine Programs

Posted May 15, 2024

Letters of intent due by June 17, 2024

Full proposal submissions due by Sept. 3, 2024

NBME has a long history of contributing to the education and assessment communities with the goal of improving patient care through quality assessment of medical professionals. To further build on our contributions and our commitment to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the medical and assessment professions, we are investing in pathway programs that demonstrate support of developing pathways to the medical profession through recruitment, education and retention of diverse learners. By providing resources to assist programs and building collaborations that aid learners with education, mentorship and resources at a crucial time in their development, we hope to help programs develop and utilize best practices to drive changes in diversity in medical education in the long term and support ASPBP in developing a pathway program community of practice.

To achieve this goal, NBME – in collaboration with the Association of STEMM Pathway and Bridge Programs (ASPBP) — is requesting applications to investigate the effectiveness of strategies that increase the number of underrepresented and traditionally underserved individuals in the medical profession. These grants are intended to support pathway programs across the entire educational continuum. Community-based, elementary to high school and higher education programs are invited to submit applications that focus on evaluating the evidence for success of a particular educational or programmatic intervention strategy in accomplishing the goal of advancing social justice, broader diversity and better health outcomes.

There are three different funding opportunities: 

  • Program Grants 
    • Three-year grants between $25,000-100,000 per year for programs wanting to evaluate and expand an established intervention strategy or strategies.
  • SEED Grants
    • One-time grants of up to $20,000 for programs wanting to develop the foundation for a rational design of an intervention strategy or strategies. 
  • Material and Resource Grants
    • One-time grants of up to $5,000 for programs wanting to improve their curriculum with needed educational resources such as learning management software, student data management software, educational or learning software). 

Eligibility to apply includes not-for-profit organizations and programs or their fiscal sponsors and not-for-profit institutions.

Initial letters of intent are due by June 17, 2024. After reviewing Letters of Intent, NBME will invite full proposals in early July. Full proposal applications are due by Sept. 3, 2024

Interested applicants can learn more about the requirements and how to apply on https://www.nbme.org/contributions/pathway-program-grants.

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