About - Montana INBRE | Montana State University

A Welcome Message from Director, Brian Bothner

Montana INBRE Director & Principal Investigator

"Montana INBRE is a collaborative network of Ph.D.-granting institutions, baccalaureate schools and tribal colleges that invests in Montana's biomedical research capacity and workforce pipeline.

Our aim is to improve the health and well being of all Montanans, and we're achieving this by building a research network that reflects and respects the uniqueness, diversity and innovative spirit found within our state's borders.

On behalf of all of us at Montana INBRE, I welcome you to our website and invite you to learn more about our efforts to position Montana as a national leader in biomedical research."

What does "INBRE" mean?

INBRE stands for the "IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence." INBRE grants are designed to enhance biomedical research capacity, expand and strengthen the research capabilities of biomedical faculty and provide access to biomedical resources for promising undergraduate and graduate students throughout eligible states.

Montana INBRE is funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences division of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number P20GM103474.

INBRE is an IDeA Program grant. Montana is one of 23 states and Puerto Rico participating in the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) Institutional Development Award (IDeA) Program. The IDeA Program seeks to increase the competitiveness of investigators by supporting faculty development and research infrastructure at institutions where success rates for NIH grant applications has historically been low. The IDeA program also aims to serve unique populations such as rural and medically underserved communities.

Which states have IDeA Programs?

Goals

To position Montana as a national leader in research on the epidemiology and pathogenesis of infectious diseases, health disparities and environmental health, Montana INBRE has established these goals:

Maintain and further develop the Montana INBRE network and student pipeline and utilize the network to address the unique problems Montana's rural and Native communities face in health disparities
Utilize the MT INBRE network to strengthen collaborations among Montana's rural and Native communities, tribal colleges and other academic institutions while positioning tribal colleges and primarily undergraduate institutions as a conduits for health research on reservations and rural communities, respectively
Expand partnerships with other programs and institutions in Montana and the Western IDeA Regional Network to maximize resources, collaborations and opportunities available to Montana's researchers and students

Specific Aims

Strengthen Montana's biomedical and bioinformatics infrastructure through continued development of shared facilities, research collaborations, focused working groups, and training opportunities (Tour our Bioinformatics initiatives)
Develop a continuous pipeline for Montana Native and non-Native students to careers in health research and increase the scientific and technological knowledge of the state's workforce (See how INBRE Student Programs are making this happen)
Mentor and develop health disparities investigators in the social and behavioral sciences and partner them with infectious disease and environmental health investigators to sustain and grow an interdisciplinary biomedical research network (Meet our current faculty investigators)
Develop and support sustainable research initiatives by Montana INBRE network investigators that will mitigate health disparities in Montana's rural and Native American communities (Learn more about the Montana IDeA Community Engagement Core)