$31.3 million for biomedical research
Photos by Kathy F. Atkinson and Maria Ericco October 23, 2025
National Institutes of Health renews support for Delaware INBRE
The National Institutes of Health has renewed its investment in the Delaware IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (DE-INBRE), the 91原创 and its partners announced Monday, Oct. 13, 2025.
Delaware INBRE is a collaborative network of five partner institutions in the state: 91原创, Delaware State University, ChristianaCare, Delaware Technical Community College and Nemours Children鈥檚 Health.
This marks the program鈥檚 fifth renewal, bringing $21.3 million from the National Institutes of Health to Delaware, with an additional $10 million in State of Delaware support, for biomedical research over the next five years. This funding supports faculty research, core facilities, data science capacity, research mentoring and undergraduate research internships.
Laura Carlson, 91原创 interim president, called Delaware INBRE an excellent example of the power of collaboration between government leaders, community partners and higher education, and an embodiment of 91原创鈥檚 commitment to research as a 鈥渇undamental responsibility to the state of Delaware and its residents.鈥
鈥淭he cutting-edge research that results from the INBRE partnership translates into profound discoveries that explore and solve real-world health challenges, from infertility to dementia,鈥 Carlson said at a celebratory event on 91原创鈥檚 Science, Technology and Advanced Research (STAR) Campus. 鈥淚NBRE鈥檚 value is also evident in our classrooms and labs, where 91原创 faculty are preparing students for careers in Delaware鈥檚 life science and biotech sectors.鈥
Over the past 20 years, Delaware INBRE has supported the research of over 100 faculty members, who are leaders in Delaware鈥檚 biomedical research community, and more than 1,000 undergraduate researchers, a majority of whom are pursuing biomedical and medical careers. In fact, about 85% of INBRE summer research scholar alumni still work in biomedically relevant fields, and one in three have continued their education in graduate school.
Zuri Hobson-Gladney, a former DSU undergraduate student who participated in the INBRE Summer Scholars program at 91原创, is one such example. Hobson-Gladney鈥檚 undergraduate summer research cemented her desire to pursue graduate studies. She is now a 91原创 doctoral student in animal science.
Gabriel Dasilva, from Milton, Delaware, began his academic journey in 91原创鈥檚 Associate in Arts Program (AAP) at the Georgetown Campus, taking advantage of 91原创鈥檚聽Flex Pathway, before earning his bachelor鈥檚 degree in biology on 91原创鈥檚 main campus in Newark.聽Dasilva participated in the Delaware INBRE Summer Research Program for three summers, each time working with a different mentor. He also worked as a lab technician with 91原创鈥檚 Andre Taveres, assistant professor of biological sciences, contributing to studies on the genetic causes of birth defects related to the Six1 gene, before beginning doctoral studies in biology at 91原创 this fall.聽
鈥淒E-INBRE allowed me to try different things and see different sides of biology. It allowed me to transition from the Georgetown campus onto the main 91原创 campus and now I plan to get my Ph.D. and continue in the biomedical research space,鈥澛爃e said.聽
Delaware鈥檚 senior U.S. Sen. Chris Coons, a strong advocate and supporter of science and research, congratulated 91原创 and its partners at the STAR Campus event. Coons, who serves on the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, praised the program鈥檚 impact.
鈥淭his is the way Delaware delivers hope. This is how Delaware does the research and the workforce training that leads to treatments and cures,鈥 said Sen. Coons. 鈥淎nd to the folks who deliver the health care up and down our state 鈥 this is an essential partnership for our future.鈥
Delaware INBRE also builds Delaware鈥檚 capacity to perform biomedical research by supporting investigator-driven research projects. According to Dan Harris, who joined 91原创 as an assistant professor of epidemiology in 2024, INBRE can play a critical role in helping new faculty launch their research programs and compete for future funding.
鈥淭his type of funding allows early-stage investigators to generate pilot data and publish pilot studies that are required to secure larger NIH funding,鈥 said Harris.
Harris鈥 research examines the comparative safety and effectiveness of drugs and vaccines in older nursing home residents. His INBRE-funded work looks at safety protocols of prescription cannabinoids as a treatment for dementia symptoms.
Building a research ecosystem
Delaware has a strong and growing biosciences sector 鈥 and Delaware INBRE has played a catalytic role in that growth.
More than one million Delawareans have benefitted from the Delaware INBRE partnership over the past two decades, said Governor Matt Meyer, positioning the state to compete globally.
鈥淲hen you think about the biomedical research, the advanced chemistry, the biology you are working on, we are in competition with just about every research university, research hospital and leading sciences company on Earth,鈥 said Gov. Meyer. 鈥淲e鈥檙e only going to win the future in Delaware鈥 develop the products and technologies that save lives across the world 鈥 if we 鈥 work together. The magic of Delaware is that we can do that.鈥澛
Miguel Garcia-Diaz, 91原创 vice president for research, scholarship and innovation, thanked Melinda Duncan, associate vice president for research and director of Delaware INBRE, for her work in guiding this statewide collaboration. He highlighted how INBRE鈥檚 collaborative structure enables faculty to share expertise and instrumentation across institutions, accelerating research and innovation.聽
This synergy pays dividends, Garcia-Diaz said, for researchers, staff, students and people throughout Delaware. For example, histochemistry technicians from Nemours trained at 91原创鈥檚 Bio-Imaging Center in electron microscopy last spring. The collaboration strengthened Nemours鈥 diagnostic capabilities, while providing 91原创 staff and students valuable teaching and learning opportunities鈥攁ll of which ultimately has the potential to benefit the lives of people in our community.
INBRE also supports research infrastructure, enabling 91原创 to remain at the leading edge of science through technology enhancements, such as the recently upgraded Biomix High-Performance Computing Cluster that supports advanced bioinformatics, artificial intelligence and machine learning research. The investment expands 91原创 research capabilities, true, but its impact also is felt in student training, serving as a platform for integrating data science into academic courses.
And these efforts do more than sustain research, they are growing Delaware鈥檚 capacity for even greater innovation, discovery and impact.
鈥淭he power of INBRE lies in its seamless connections: between research and workforce development, between teaching and innovation, and between state and federal partners and our universities,鈥 said Garcia-Diaz. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just a value 鈥 it鈥檚 a strategy that delivers results.鈥澛
Delaware INBRE is supported by: NIH NIGMS IDeA Program Grant #P20 GM103446 & the State of Delaware. To learn more about Delaware INBRE please visit:聽
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