The University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine has been awarded $18.4 million over five years to foster biomedical careers among students at the UH-Hilo College of Pharmacy, Chaminade University, Hawaii Pacific University and UH community colleges.

“Students in our program, who may, in fact, be the first in their family to attend college now have the exciting opportunity to pursue biomedical research as a career,” said Robert Nichols, principal investigator with what will be called the Hawaii Statewide Research and Education Partnership.

The money comes from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences.

The new partnership will be developed under the IDeA Networks for Biomedical Research Excellence. The Hawaii INBRE program has been supported by the National Institutes of Health and was recently granted an addition five years of support.