Columbia, SC — The National Institutes of Health (NIH) through the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) has awarded $21.3 million for the renewal of the South Carolina IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (SC INBRE) to support biomedical research and infrastructure in South Carolina. The award will fund the program for five years as of September 1, 2026.

With this renewal, SC INBRE – one of South Carolina’s largest and longest running federally-funded grants program – is celebrating its 25th year of funding under the INBRE umbrella. The program began in South Carolina in 2001 as the South Carolina Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network (SC BRIN). Since 2001, SC BRIN/SC INBRE has been awarded a total of over $88 million to support biomedical research, education and workforce development in South Carolina.

This renewal expands the SC INBRE Program into a statewide network of 16 member institutions, including South Carolina’s three Comprehensive Research Universities (CRUs) and 13 Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs). SC INBRE is administered at the University of South Carolina Kay and C. Edward Floyd, M.D. School of Medicine. In addition to the Floyd School of Medicine, SC INBRE member institutions include CRUs: Clemson University and the Medical University of South Carolina, as well as PUIs: Benedict College, Coastal Carolina University, College of Charleston, Columbia College, Converse University, Francis Marion University, Furman University, Lander University, Presbyterian College, University of South Carolina Aiken, University of South Carolina Beaufort, University of South Carolina Upstate, and Winthrop University.

“We are excited to continue the mission of enhancing biomedical research throughout South Carolina,” said Dr. Edie Goldsmith, Chair of Cell Biology & Anatomy at the Floyd School of Medicine and SC INBRE Program Director. “This renewal will enable us to train students, support faculty research and support infrastructure and workforce-pipeline development in South Carolina. With 16 member institutions, this is the largest our network has been in our 25-year history. We are proud of our accomplishments to date and are looking forward to making an even greater impact on the state’s biomedical and biosciences community.” 

“Bringing together colleges and universities from across South Carolina, over the next five years SC INBRE will support students and faculty whose research continues to advance our understanding of, and develops potential treatment options for, many diseases impacting our state. Summer and academic year research programs developed at SC INBRE network institutions will continue to engage undergraduate students and faculty mentors, strengthening the pipeline of students interested in biomedical research and careers beyond their baccalaureate degrees. In addition, several of the network PUIs will receive assistance in updating research equipment and renovating research space on their campuses. Engaging undergraduate students in biomedical research through the SC INBRE program will ensure a well-educated workforce of physicians, scientists, healthcare providers and other professionals prepared to address the current and future health care problems in South Carolina.”

SC INBRE is supported by an Institutional Development Award (IDeA) from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the NIH, number P20GM103499. The content of this release is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.

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