Mission

The mission of the Center for Molecular Toxicology (CMT) is to foster a state-wide research and training network in toxicology and related biomedical disciplines in order to enhance research capacity, research competiveness, and workforce development in Rhode Island (RI).

Purpose

The CMT provides the multi-institutional Rhode Island Institutional Development Award (IDeA) Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (RI-INBRE) Program, which is funded by a grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institutes of Health, an operational base that is not directly linked to a particular department.  At the University of Rhode Island (URI), faculty and students from all colleges have access to and benefit from activities, services, and resources made available through the CMT.  The educational and research activities in toxicology are concentrated at the College of Pharmacy and hence the Center is located in this college.  The Network institutions are:  Brown University, Rhode Island College, Providence College, Roger Williams University, Salve Regina University, and Bryant University.

Objectives

Consistent with its mission, the CMT has the following objectives: 

Research Career Development of Faculty.  Since its inception, through the INBRE grant, CMT has been instrumental in leveraging new faculty positions at URI and other network institutions in the state.  It supports the career development of junior faculty whose research areas are related to the Center’s research focus.  Prospective faculty members are assisted in developing their grant proposals. The faculty are mentored and supported usually for three years under this program.  In addition, Pilot Projects for proposal development and student training are also awarded.  A number of RI-INBRE-supported faculty at URI and Brown University, and some at the primarily undergraduate institutions, have successfully obtained independent external grants.  At the primarily undergraduate institutions in the network, faculty receive financial support from RI-INBRE to train students in research methodology, present research findings at scientific meetings, and publish in peer-reviewed scientific literature.

Research Training of Students and Postdoctoral Fellows.  A number of URI students and postdoctoral fellows receive financial support from the RI-INBRE Program.  In addition, student training in research also takes place at the network institutions.  During the summer, a 10-week Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program is organized both at URI and the network institutions. The SURF program culminates with an Undergraduate Research Day which is celebrated jointly with the RI Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) SURF program.