Mentored Experiences in Research, Instruction and Teaching (MERIT) Program - administrative supplement

资助自2009年以来，UAB IRACDA的主要目标-指导研究，教学，

Funded since 2009, the primary goal of the UAB IRACDA - Mentored Experiences in Research, Instruction, and Teaching (MERIT) Program (K12 GM088010) is to provide postdoctoral scholars with outstanding research and teaching experiences while improving the recruitment of underrepresented groups into the field of biomedical and behavioral research. To meet this goal, IRACDA-MERIT Program partners with local institutions that serve underrepresented groups to provide teaching experiences; research experiences are provided at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). To date, a total of 35 MERIT Scholars have trained / are training in the IRACDA-MERIT Program; 80% of MERIT Scholar Alumni are employed currently as faculty in teaching- and research-intensive institutions throughout the US. UAB is committed to providing its undergraduates, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows with the skills they need to improve their mental health and wellness. Despite these resources, however, none fully address the specific mental health challenges and needs of trainees engaged in biomedical research. To address this need, MERIT Scholars will develop the BioMed-Resiliency (BMR) Curriculum with guidance from IRACDA-MERIT Program leadership, the UAB Graduate School Professional Development Program and UAB eLearning & Professional Services. This effort will be coordinated with the Scholars’ on-going teaching experiences, allowing them to deepen their skill set in the area of curriculum development and assessment. The central objective of the BMR Curriculum is to improve the learner’s resiliency attitudes and skills, specifically in the context of conducting biomedical research. It will include a set of six online interactive modules, each with related activity exercises and a facilitator guide, that will utilize metacognitive approaches toward increased understanding and development of resiliency. It will be geared toward learners who are training in the biomedical-related sciences, including graduate students and postdoctoral fellows at UAB as well as STEM undergraduates and post-baccalaureates at UAB and at IRACDA-MERIT Partner Institutions. The BMR Curriculum will be assessed via formative and summative approaches in consultation with the UAB Graduate School Professional Development Program. Once assessment is completed and any improvements finalized, the BMR Curriculum will be disseminated to the UAB and IRACDA-MERIT Program communities as well as to the broader biomedical research community. As a measure of institutional commitment, the BMR Curriculum will be institutionalized as a standing curriculum in the UAB Graduate School Professional Development Program portfolio.