MINNEAPOLIS — The University of Minnesota will participate in a $240 million federal program to diversify the field of biomedical research.

The university will receive a proposed $20 million in grants over five years through the National Institutes of Health initiative that aims to recruit a more diverse group of medical and biomedical researchers. NIH will award $31 million in the first year to more than 50 institutions.

The university will act as the Midwest hub for the nationwide program. The institutions will create mentorship and training opportunities for researchers such as graduates of historically black colleges and universities.

One of the university’s principal investigators says the nation’s health disparities could improve if researcher diversity increased and people asked new questions about different health threats.