Chemistry-Biology Interface Training Grant renewed with National Institutes of Health funding
MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (10/2/2025) – The Chemistry-Biology Interface Training Grant (CBITG) isn’t just one of the longest-running student training grants at the University of Minnesota – it’s one of the longest-running training grants in the nation. Over the course of its 25-year history, the CBITG program has been a crucial force in interdisciplinary development of biomedical scientists. With the help of a recent grant renewal from the National Institutes of Health, the program will continue to push the boundaries of discovery and train scientists at the cutting edge of chemical biology.
At its core, the CBITG aims to provide rigorous and interdisciplinary training to a diverse and inclusive community of graduate student trainees through professional development activities, research experience, and a dynamic learning environment. The program provides participants with the skills necessary to cross traditional boundaries, think critically, and understand and conduct scientific research at the interface of chemistry and biology. Key elements of the program include participation in a co-mentored research experience in a second CBITG trainer’s laboratory, as well as the annual trainee-organized Chemical Biology Symposium. In recent years, new features have been added to the CBITG: annual flash talk presentations, annual responsible conduction of research workshops, a student-selected mentor award, as well as summer academic and industrial site visits to expose trainees to a swath of career opportunities. This year, trainees also participated in a scientific communication workshop.
The CBITG was founded in 1999 through the efforts of Professor Emeritus George Barany and Regents Professor Emeritus Lawrence Que. At the program’s inception, there were six slots per year for trainees. Today, that number is nearly doubled with eleven new graduate students accepted each year. The program is currently co-led by Chemistry Professors Erin Carlson and William Pomerantz. Both say they have benefited immensely from the CBITG since starting at the University.
“The training grant has been a cornerstone of the chemical biology community for me ever since arriving on campus in 2012,” co-director Pomerantz says. “It provided initial support for my first graduate student Clifford Gee, who worked with Prof. Gunda Georg as his co-mentor and helped initiate a strong medicinal chemistry foundation in my research lab and a more than 10-year long collaboration on BET bromodomain research. Each element of the training grant, whether it be the regular training presentations at the Chemical Biology Interest Group meeting, outside seminar speakers, the annual symposium, career site visits, social events, or planning the next year's initiatives with my amazing co-director Erin Carlson leaves me invigorated and fulfilled. I look forward to continuing to serve as co-director and helping impact the chemical biology community here at the University of Minnesota.”
Over the past quarter of a century, the CBITG has demonstrated strong outcomes for its trainees. The average time to graduation for CBITG students is 5.6 years, and 87% of those trainees stay in biomedically-related research careers. Beyond producing successful graduates, the CBITG challenges and rewards its trainers, creating a cycle of impact that strengthens the field as a whole.
“Serving as co-director of the NIH-funded CBITG is an incredibly rewarding experience,” co-director Carlson says. “The program equips the next generation of scientists with the skills to tackle questions at the intersection of chemistry and biology, communicate effectively, and take on leadership roles, all while receiving mentorship from multiple faculty. Beyond the NIH-supported trainees, the CBITG has fostered a vibrant community that benefits many more students, postdocs, and faculty across campus. We’re grateful to the NIH for providing the funding to launch and maintain this initiative and to our departments and colleges for their ongoing support, which enables Will and I to continue growing and enriching this community.”
A key part of the program’s success is thanks to the continued grant support from the National Institutes of Health. NIH funding partially supports trainee stipends, as well as partial support for travel to scientific conferences and child care support. Additional financial support is provided through the individual Departments of Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry, and Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics as well as the College of Science and Engineering, the College of Pharmacy, and the College of Biological Sciences. UMN’s funding supports personnel costs as well as professional and career development. Generous support from the endowed professorship of Professor Rick Wagner helps fund the Chemical Biology Initiative seminar series, which hosts leading chemical biologists for research lectures at the University of Minnesota. Together, these contributions sustain the CBITG as a dynamic hub for innovation, mentorship, and scientific discovery in chemical biology.