The University of Arizona (UA) is a research-intensive institution with a strong record ofsupporting diverse students. It is an American Indian and Alaska Native-Serving Institution(AIANSI) and was recognized as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) in 2018. The goal of theInitiatives for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD) program is to build our under-represented (UR) students sense of belonging self-efficacy and science identity. To meet thisgoal IMSD trainees enroll as a cohort in a one-unit success course in the first year and engagein individualized and cohort-based professional development and career readiness activities. UAIMSD will utilize a new Annual Review to create a personalized academic and research plan foreach trainee and mentor. IMSD mentors will engage in inclusive mentoring workshops tosupport their ability to work with their trainees. IMSD scholars are immersed in a tieredmentoring system and receive support from the IMSD PI/Co-Is staff faculty their dissertationadvisor the Director of Graduate Studies of their program and peer mentors. NIH funding willbe used to support program staff first year student stipends the success course andsocial/professional development opportunities. In recent years IMSD has provided opportunitiesto other UR biomedical sciences students who would benefit from the program. In this proposalwe will create an engaged community of biomedical research scholars comprised of 12 NIH-funded IMSD trainees and additional UR graduate students in the biomedical sciences.Furthermore IMSD leadership has been expanded to include campus leaders with facultyappointments in diversity administration and education who will serve as mentors and rolemodels. We seek to develop IMSD trainees who will be scientists researchers and leaders intheir field. Our goal is to be the premier institution in the Southwest for supporting diversestudents in the Biomedical Sciences.