Community

The Office of Graduate Education and BBSP are deeply committed to fostering an environment in which all graduate students can succeed. Since BBSP began in 2007, we have built a demographically vibrant and passionate community of students who will become tomorrow’s leaders.

A cornerstone of our community is our longstanding NIH-funded UNC Initiative for Maximizing Development (IMSD) program which aims to strengthen research training environments and promote broader participation in the biomedical research workforce by supporting the development of biomedical PhD students, especially students from under-resourced backgrounds, and their successful transition to bioscience careers.

The UNC IMSD family gathers yearly for a holiday dinner with family and friends.

Additionally, our office sponsors community building groups. Students regularly approach us with ideas for new groups or opportunities, and we do our best to support them. We also host socials for all of our students (with free food, of course).

Our office is part of a larger UNC campus that serves a wide variety of students, faculty, and staff. Current students and faculty can find more information about the support resources available in our BBSP Student Handbook (onyen login required).