UMSOP Faculty Member Awarded NIH CBI Training Grant to Support Inter-Institutional Research

Dr. Steven Fletcher’s new grant fuels collaborative training bridging chemistry and biology at UMSOP and UMBC.

By Pam Carder
October 23, 2025

Steven Fletcher, PhD, professor of pharmaceutical sciences (PharmSci) and director of the MS in PharmSci program at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy (UMSOP), has been awarded a prestigious T32 training grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The grant, co-led by Fletcher and Aaron Smith, PhD (contact PI), associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), will provide six annual fellowships over five years to support graduate students working at the intersection of chemistry and biology.

The grant, which launched in September, supports the Chemistry-Biology Interface (CBI) training program, a unique collaborative initiative that brings together students and faculty from the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at UMSOP and UMBC’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Department of Biological Sciences. The current CBI cohort comprises approximately 10-15 students from each department, for a total of 44 students.

The program officially kicked off at UMSOP on Sept. 29 with a session focused on topical science issues. Also, during this meeting, select students gave “elevator pitches” of their PhD dissertations – succinct, engaging overviews of their research – to their peers and faculty mentors, which can be crucial in gaining the attention of future employers at environments such as conferences, where time is short and opportunities for in-depth conversations are hard to come by. These early presentations are part of the program’s broader emphasis on clear scientific communication across disciplines.

“This is a wonderful example of a successful inter-institutional collaboration,” said Fletcher. “The CBI program enables students from our department to engage deeply with topical science issues and to discuss their own research with their peers from two departments at UMBC. It promotes not only academic rigor, but also the spirit of intellectual community and collaboration that’s essential for the future of the biomedical sciences.”

The CBI program provides a structured, interdisciplinary training environment where students are exposed to a broad range of scientific perspectives. Weekly meetings include journal clubs, research presentations, and collaborative discussions designed to strengthen students’ abilities to communicate across disciplines – a vital skill in modern pharmaceutical and biomedical research.

A key feature of the program is its cross-training research component, which provides students with real, hands-on experience in a scientific discipline outside their primary area of expertise. This practical exposure to new techniques and methodologies is a critical measure of the program’s success: equipping students with both breadth and depth in their scientific training.

The T32 training grant is among the most competitive training mechanisms supported by the NIH, awarded to institutions with demonstrated excellence in research training. The CBI initiative reflects the shared commitment by UMSOP and UMBC to expanding interdisciplinary opportunities for graduate students.

Hongbing Wang, PhD, professor and interim chair of PharmSci at UMSOP, emphasized the significance of the grant for the School’s research and training mission.

“This award is a testament to Dr. Fletcher’s leadership and to the quality of our graduate training programs,” said Wang. “It’s exciting to see our students benefit from this type of inter-campus collaboration, which helps prepare the next generation of scientists to tackle the complex challenges at the intersection of chemistry and biology.”

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