The overarching goal of the Professional Development Core (PDC) is to address the unmet need for more diversity in the biomedical research workforce by creating and nationally disseminating transformative, high-impact, professional development programs to support mentees from diverse backgrounds in biomedical/bio-behavioral disciplines.
The PDC offers a series of grant writing programs designed to help researchers currently planning or working on a grant proposal develop professional skills to:
Master grant proposal basics
Prepare grant submissions
Accelerate success in obtaining grant funding
Related Programs: Coaching Groups for Grant Proposal Writing
Our Leadership Team
University of Utah
Director; PI
Dr. Okuyemi’s career in the last 20 years focused on research and programs to improve the health of underserved populations and eliminate health disparities using pharmacological and culturally tailored behavioral interventions as well as community-engaged research approaches. He has been Principal Investigator on several NIH (NCI, NIDA, NHLBI, NIMHD, NIGMS) funded centers as well as research and training grants aimed at reducing cancer-related health disparities especially among African Americans, African Immigrants, and homeless populations.
In September 2014, Dr. Okuyemi was one of 5 Principal Investigators awarded a $22 million NIH grant to establish the National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) and serves as PI/Director of NRMN’s Professional Development Core. Dr. Okuyemi has a passion for mentoring and has mentored faculty, postdoctoral fellows, graduate, and undergraduate students many of whom have progressed to establish their own independent academic, research, or other health professional careers. Dr. Okuyemi has published over 120 peer-reviewed scientific articles and book chapters.
