Gerontology Enriching MSTEM (GEMSTEM) to Enhance Diversity in Aging

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The Gerontology Enriching MSTEM (GEMSTEM) to Enhance Diversity in Aging program will meet the challenges of the increasing size and diversity of the U.S. older population by attracting, encouraging, and supporting undergraduates from diverse backgrounds – especially racial and ethnic minorities and other health disparities populations – into careers in aging research. We will provide these trainees with the skills and experience to pursue advanced MSTEM degrees and research careers in aging by providing research training, education, career development, mentoring, and peer socialization activities that emphasize integration between geroscience and health disparities research. Our program is designed to overcome longstanding financial, social support, and cultural barriers that have limited opportunities for diverse undergraduates in aging research. The GEMSTEM program is a paid research and professionalization opportunity over the entire four-year undergraduate experience. We will target recruitment of underrepresented minority students from the USC student population, from underrepresented minority serving 2-year and 4-year colleges, and from the local K-12 schools in the greater LAUSD. GEMSTEM will create an undergraduate-centered geroscience research community modeled for sustained program enhancement by the continuous assessment of programmatic components by students, expert geroscience faculty, and professional staff. The goals of the GEMSTEM program are to (1) expand research access to emerging undergraduate researchers from racial and ethnic minority and other health disparity populations and (2) increase the number of researchers conducting gerontological research to reduce health disparities in older adult populations. GEMSTEM aims include: (1) recruit a diverse group of USC undergraduate students from Gerontology and other MSTEM degree programs, over the entire undergraduate experience, to participate in GEMSTEM; (2) engage student participation in active research on aging and introduce them to diversity in aging research through socialization and engagement activities that will build passion for and commitment to a disparities-informed geroscience; (3) facilitate structured education and research training opportunities in aging; provide sustained mentorship; and prepare program participants for future success in graduate and medical school research training and careers; and (4) create a community GEMSTEM students and alumni to provide ongoing support as they embark into careers in MSTEM. Importantly, The USC GEMSTEM Program will help NIA achieve its mission to promote diversity in the scientific workforce and maintain its leadership in geroscience discovery and innovation.