New award program established to help diversify medical field

On December 13, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced that it will devote hundreds of millions of dollars to a new loan program designed to diversify the field of medical research.

Up to $500 million will be put into scholarships and grants for minority students who are currently pursuing an education in the medical field, where funding for pivotal research is increasingly hard to come by.

A recent story published in Science magazine showed that African-American scientists were, on average, less likely to get funding for projects than white peers with similar research records.

The NIH Advisory Committee to the Director (ACD) undertook an initiative to pursue a solution in response to the article that could alleviate this growing problem in the research community.

An undergraduate scholarship program called Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) was then formed by the ACD in response. The program will help up to 150 minority undergraduate medical students by providing two years worth of tuition as well as opportunities for study under esteemed professionals in a student's chosen field.

Beginning in fall 2013, BUILD will be funded by the NIH for four years with the hope of helping a total of 600 students achieve their goal of continuing research after graduation.

On top of BUILD, the NIH already donates roughly $135 million a year to institutions that have diverse student bodies.

For students interested in a career in the medical field who believe they may qualify for the BUILD program, College Financing Group has expert financial aid consultants on hand that can provide scholarship assistance during the application process.