Lloyd College of Health, Science and Technology is creating new pathways for students to pursue careers in biomedical science with an emphasis on neurological disorders and rural health. Through hands-on learning, clinical partnerships and nationally recognized training opportunities, the college is preparing future scientists and health professionals to better understand complex diseases and improve health outcomes in the communities they will one day serve.

The National Institutes of Health named FSU one of a select group of institutions chosen to launch the NIH Gateway to Research Opportunities for the Workforce (GROW) program locally. The university will use the two-year, $300,000 award to establish FSU-GROW.

Under the leadership of James E. Raynor Jr., Ph.D., professor in the Department of Biological and Forensic Sciences and program director, FSU-GROW brings together faculty, staff, regional healthcare partners and education leaders to open doors into scientific careers while strengthening North Carolina’s future healthcare workforce.

“Dr. Raynor’s leadership on this initiative reflects the caliber of faculty within the Lloyd College of Health, Science and Technology,” said Erin N. White, Ph.D., dean of the Lloyd College of Health, Science and Technology, in a press release. “Programs like FSU-GROW create meaningful opportunities for students to engage in discovery, build professional connections, and prepare for careers that will strengthen the state’s research capacity and improve the health of communities across our region.”

Over the next two years, FSU-GROW will engage approximately 20 to 25 FSU undergraduate students and 50 to 60 local high school students. Undergraduates will move through a progression of faculty-guided laboratory research, clinical shadowing with regional medical and dental partners and professional development, preparing them to compete for advanced research positions at the NIH and other leading institutions.

For high school participants, a major focus of the initiative is the Biomedical Research and Community Health Summer Camp, a one-week residential experience hosted on FSU’s campus in 2027 and 2028. The university is partnering with area high schools and the Indian Education Resource Center, a Pembroke-based organization serving Native American communities, to introduce rural youth to biomedical and public health research centered on health challenges in their own hometowns.

“Every student we inspire today is a future scientist, clinician, or researcher who may one day help a family facing Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, or another neurological disorder,” Raynor said in a press release. “Through FSU-GROW, we are investing in students who will use science, innovation, and compassion to improve the health of the communities they know best.”

Applications for the inaugural FSU-GROW cohort are open through Sept. 11, 2026. The program begins Oct. 1, 2026. Undergraduate students interested in applying can complete the online application here or email the program director at jraynor@uncfsu.edu for additional information.