The Graduate Partnerships Program (GPP) initiative links the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with universities in the graduate level training of students. Through university partnerships the NIH strengthens and expands its role as a key provider of excellent training for the biomedical scientists of the future. The mission of the GPP is to establish and foster graduate education partnerships with national and international universitites and institutions dedicated to quality education in biomedical basic and clinical research while providing the infrastructure and community support needed by the students in these programs.