A Comprehensive Assessment of the Barriers, Needs, and Challenges Facing Underrepresented Minority Faculty in Biochemistry and Molecular and Cellular Biology Aug 12-14, Wash, DC

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Intellectual Merit The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology's Minority Affairs Committee will conduct a comprehensive assessment to identify the challenges and impediments that hamper the success of minority faculty and faculty conducting research at minority serving institutions in securing federal research funding. This initiative aligns with the Society's existing mission to increase the representation, participation, visibility, and contributions of minorities to molecular life science disciplines and will expand the impact of efforts in this regard. A needs analysis within a cohort of 171 minority faculty who previously received NSF funding to identify existing barriers that limit their renewal or resubmission success rates will be conducted. This analysis will identify existing barriers that limit renewal or resubmission rated. Assessment will be conducted in three stages, part of which will be an online survey that will facilitate the planning and organization a focus group. The focus group will allow identification and examination of the perceived barriers precluding URM faculty and faculty at minority serving institutions from successfully renewing and/or resubmitting proposals for NSF funding. In the final phase, a draft document containing the challenges and points of action that will ultimately enhance the research success of minority faculty, will be developed. The ultimate objective of this effort is to increase the success of a diverse pool of faculty. Broader ImpactSince the goal is to enhance the representation and success of faculty from underrepresented groups and those from minority serving institutions, the broader impacts of this initiative is intrinsic. The meeting will allow life science faculty from various types of institutions and research fields to network and develop collaborations, all while working to achieve the broader goal of addressing funding success barriers. White papers summarizing the outcomes of this meeting will be disseminated to professional societies presenting a national call to action that addresses the challenges identified. In addition to the white papers, the results of this comprehensive assessment will be submitted for publication in various fora including ASBMB today The Journal of Biological Chemistry, and the Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education. Plenary sessions are proposed and the speakers and participants will mirror the initial cohort of survey respondents. Additionally, this initiative may serve as a useful template for other disciplines interested in assessing the needs of minority scientists.