Rochester Bridges to the Doctorate for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students

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Project Summary/Abstract Deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) people are strikingly underrepresented among doctoral-prepared biomedical scientists. The long-term goal of the Rochester Bridges to the Doctorate (RB2D) Program is to increase the number of DHH students who go on to successful biomedical research careers. RB2D brings together two institutions committed to this goal: University of Rochester (UR) and Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). RIT is a major Master of Science (MS) degree granting institution and home of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID), the foremost higher education institution with DHH persons. UR grants biomedical research PhDs, has a research-intensive academic medical center, and is home to the National Center for Deaf Health Research (NCDHR), a component of the UR Clinical & Translational Science Institute. RB2D's objective is to build on our successes to further develop, implement, and evaluate this model program, ultimately contributing to a more diverse biomedical research workforce. RB2D has four specific aims: 1) To further develop the RB2D Program at RIT, the MS-granting institution; 2) To further develop the RB2D Program at UR, the PhD-granting institution; 3) To recruit DHH MS candidates to be RB2D Scholars; 4) To evaluate the RB2D program. RB2D creates and implements programs that address gaps in knowledge, skills, and infrastructure, and facilitates institutional culture change, to increase the likelihood of success of DHH individuals in biomedical research fields. RB2D's research education program includes coursework, lab experiences, and specialized RB2D curricular activities designed specifically to equip DHH trainees and the programs that work with them for success. At the end of this funding period, RB2D will have strengthened and expanded opportunities for DHH students and advanced institutional goals. There will be an increase in the number of DHH individuals entering biomedical doctoral training programs and in the number of faculty and labs who work effectively with DHH trainees. Both anchor institutions' excellence and diversity in research and education will be strengthened through deeper graduate program connections and external collaborations. Facilitating the success of DHH scientists will increase visibility and attract more DHH students into biomedical research careers, ultimately achieving the long-term goal to enhance workforce diversity and increase representation of DHH people in the biomedical research workforce.