The University of Hawaii at Manoa said today that it was awarded a $9.2 million federal grant to help build a biomedical research base and to support early career researchers trying to become independent scientists.

The three-year grant from the National Institutes of Health will support researchers and programs at UH-Manoa, Chaminade University and Hawaii Pacific University, as well as several community colleges within the UH system.

Gary Ostrander, UH-Manoa vice chancellor for research and graduate education, called it an "exciting chance" for Hawaii institutions to bring their talent together.

In addition, researchers at the new University of Hawaii at Hilo College of Pharmacy on the Big Island will work with researchers on Oahu to give the college a jump start as it builds research capabilities and infrastructure, UH-Manoa said in a news release.

The IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence grant "also provides educational and training opportunities for undergraduates to be part of a pipeline of students interested in pursuing careers in the health sciences," it said.

The "pipeline" part of a program involving research and training opportunities for students at the various institutions.

The funding will include support for summer outreach programs designed for undergraduate students, with a major focus on providing advanced training in bioinformatics and other computer-based research methods, the university said.