Aspirnaut Undergraduate Discovery Science Experience in Renal Biology and Disease

国家迫切需要教育创新，招收本科生进入STEM (科学、技术、工程、数学)学科，并增加进行 与NIH任务相关的领域的研究，特别是NIDDK的研究。缺乏多样化的STEM- 面向本科生，来自地理和经济贫困背景的学生 和代表不足的种族和少数民族群体，他们是美国印第安人，招募到STEM 事业。此外，K-12学生STEM成绩的不足威胁着STEM的进入渠道 让本科生进入深造和STEM劳动力市场。 为了应对这些挑战，我们在2009年建立了一项新的计划，名为Aspirnaut™K-20 STEM 多样性管道(www.aspnaut.org)，范德比尔特大学医学中心(VUMC)。最重要的是 目标是开发一种提高STEM成绩的模式，增加学生的数量和多样性 进入STEM劳动力市场的人。Aspirnaut™计划是由一项为期2年的NIDDK赠款支持的，授予 在《美国复苏和再投资法案》(ARRA)的支持下。实习生的结果和 研究计划作为NIDDK R25拨款的试点数据，该拨款于2012年授予我们，为 建立“Aspirnaut发现肾脏生物学与疾病科学经验”的途径。 在这次更新中，我们建议利用我们的成功来进一步增加多样化的数量 从事与NIDDK使命相关的STEM职业的本科生。我们将实施几个 指导创新，在前一个资金周期中试点，以完善发现科学的整体模式 随着专业技能的发展和自我发现的指导，经验得到了增强。具体目标是： 目标1.招募40%的参与者来自代表性不足的种族和民族群体和美国印第安人 70%的人来自地理和/或经济上的不利背景和/或有限的家庭水平 教育。 目标2.每年邀请10名本科生参加一项关于“肾脏生物学”主题的研究 和疾病“ 目标3.通过专业技能发展和自我指导来增强发现科学的体验 发现号。 预期结果将建立招聘和增加人数的整体模式，并 进入与NIDDK使命相关的STEM学科的本科生的多样性。 。

There is critical national need for educational innovations that recruit undergraduate students into STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) disciplines and increase the number of scientists who conduct research in areas relevant to the NIH mission, particularly that of NIDDK. There is a dearth of diverse STEM- oriented undergraduate students, those from geographically- and economically-disadvantaged backgrounds and underrepresented racial and ethnic minority groups and who are American Indians, to recruit into STEM careers. Moreover, shortfalls in STEM achievement in K-12 students threaten the pipeline for entry of STEM undergraduates into advanced studies and the STEM workforce. To address these challenges, we established a novel initiative in 2009, called the Aspirnaut™ K-20 STEM Pipeline for Diversity (www.aspirnaut.org), at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC). The overarching goal was to develop a model to elevate STEM achievement and increase the number and diversity of students that entered the STEM workforce. The Aspirnaut™ initiative was enabled by a 2-year NIDDK grant, awarded under the auspices of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The trainee outcome and research program served as the Pilot Data for a NIDDK R25 grant that was awarded to us in 2012 that paved the way to establish the “Aspirnaut Discovery Science Experience in Renal Biology and Disease.” In this renewal, we propose to leverage our success to further increase the number of diverse undergraduate students that pursue STEM careers relevant to the NIDDK mission. We will implement several mentoring innovations, piloted over the previous funding cycle, to perfect a holistic model of discovery science experiences augmented with professional skills development and guided self-discovery. The specific aims are: Aim 1. To recruit 40% of participants from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups and American Indians and 70% from geographically- and/or economically-disadvantaged backgrounds and/or limited family level of education. Aim 2. To engage 10 undergraduate students per year in a research experience on the topic of “Renal Biology and Disease” Aim 3. To augment the discovery science experience with professional skills development and guided self- discovery. The anticipated outcomes will establish a holistic model for recruiting and increasing the number and diversity of undergraduates entering STEM disciplines of relevance to the NIDDK mission. .