The MADURA Program: Mentorship for Advancing Diversity in Undergraduate Research on Aging

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ABSTRACT The proposed UC San Diego MADURA (Mentorship for Advancing Diversity in Undergraduate Research on Aging) Program responds to the NIA ADAR R25 Training Program Announcement, to offer under- represented Hispanic/Latino undergraduates tailored, longitudinal mentorship, training and work experiences with researchers and clinicians focused on aging and Alzheimer’s disease. It will provide effective, sustained academic and social support, skills training and supervision, to foster academic success and retention over the near term, and subsequent increased rates of application for aging-related graduate training or employment, thereby improving inclusion in the field. The MADURA project is designed to achieve these goals through a multi-component program comprised of: career-relevant Individual, Paid Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease Research-related Internship Placements with researcher/clinician mentors (8hours/week); Paid Weekly Group Mentorship/Training Meetings, facilitated by a team of doctoral level trainers and research faculty (2 hours per week); integrated, tailored Professional Development Experiences (some with additional funding support); Guided Outreach Experiences for a partner high school that serves potential first generation college attendees; and formal curriculum and process development activities and rigorous evaluation, enabling continuous quality improvements and future dissemination. UC San Diego is an emerging Hispanic Serving Institution with a deep field of diversity- promoting academic support and Hispanic/Latino student groups, centers and services which welcome collaboration with the MADURA Program. The MADURA Program is innovative in depth, comprehensiveness and integration of its evidence-based supportive elements: student pay, broad array of experiential placements, full integration of weekly Group Mentorship and tailored Training (provided by skilled aging research facilitators from similar cultural backgrounds), co-occurring peer mentorship and support, and finally, its fidelity to rigorous evaluation and dissemination of results and materials. MADURA is positioned for success, given the convergence of experienced program leadership, strong program development and evaluation teams, pay for students who must earn income in order to stay in school, exemplary willing advisors and complimentary training activity partners, and existing linkages with Hispanic/Latino student networks. The carefully conceptualized MADURA Program brings together the leadership, advisors, training and placement experiences to successfully promote diversity in Aging/Alzheimer’s disease MSTEM careers for participating Hispanic/Latino undergraduates, within the nurturing context of a University energized around improving diversity and inclusion.