Spelman College’s Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE) project was funded initially in 2000 and has recently completed Year 21 of its implementation. The project is funded as a Division of Training, Workforce Development, and Diversity (TWD) Award from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) at The National Institutes of Health (NIH). The project has the following three aims, which directly align with the main goal of the broader RISE program.

1. To increase student awareness of biomedical and behavioral research and to encourage students to pursue a career in research. 2. To develop empirical research knowledge and skills of students so that they will be prepared for the rigor of the advanced research training of doctoral programs. 3. To increase the number of students going directly to Ph.D. research programs, by making them more competitive for admission.