Rochester Institute of Technology U-RISE Scientists-in-Training Program for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Undergraduates (RIT U-RISE)

聋哑人和重听人(DHH)科学家在国家生物医学领域的代表性严重不足 研究人员。2018年，NIH颁奖典礼上只有0.38%的PI报告听力残疾，但 美国20-69岁成年人的听力损失患病率为31.1%。DHH本科生面临着许多障碍 追求高级研究学位，包括糟糕的指导，缺乏DHH科学家的榜样，糟糕 自我效能技能、糟糕的科学认同感和社区挫败感。此外，DHH人群的差异很大 在沟通方式、语言技能和与听力文化有关的文化认同方面。作为一名 因此，DHH STEM学生经常遇到文化耻辱和沟通障碍，限制了他们的 获得生物医学实验室指导的本科生研究机会。初级阶段 拟议的RIT U-Rise聋人和重听科学家培训计划的使命 本科生(RIT U-Rise)通过准备8个DHH来使生物医学研究人员多样化 本科生每年进入研究密集型大学的生物医学相关博士课程。 次要任务是向其他机构的科学家传播基于证据的最佳实践，以 让DHH的学生更容易接触到和包容生物医学研究实践社区。 RIT有1100多名DHH学生(占学生总数的6%)。RIT机构数据显示 DHH学士学位的学生不成比例地倾向于与生物医学无关的研究 研究生课程，尽管毕业率、毕业率和学术成就与 听力好的学生。为了应对这一趋势，RIT U-Rise学员将参加基于证据的联合 课程充实和队列建设活动、专业研究道德、安全性、可再现性、 和科学写作培训，以及在RIT文化支持实验室进行的强化辅导研究培训 以及研究密集型大学。受训人员还将出席国家会议。一个人 基于目标核心科学和专业能力的发展计划将指导每个 实习生计划。增强的咨询、监测、辅导和通信访问服务将 确保学员获得成功进入博士学位所需的社会心理、学术和机构支持 程序。RIT U-Rise将为导师和其他培养 制度变革。将传播指导DHH博士本科生的最佳实践 全国范围内。15名RIT U-Rise学员预计将在赠款周期结束时毕业，并将在 毕业三年内至少8人进入生物医学相关的博士研究项目。RIT有 广泛的DHH社区和机构资源，与研究生培训的伙伴关系 研究密集型大学的项目，以及丰富的管理经验和基础设施 RIT-Rise计划(2017-2022年)，以确保RIT U-Rise计划的成功。

Deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) scientists are severely underrepresented in the nation’s biomedical research workforce. In 2018 only 0.38% of all PIs on NIH awards reported a hearing disability, yet hearing-loss prevalence for US adults ages 20-69 is 31.1%. DHH undergraduates face many barriers to pursuing advanced research degrees, including poor mentoring, lack of DHH scientist role models, poor self-efficacy skills, poor science identity, and community disincentives. Further, DHH people vary widely in communication modalities, language skills, and cultural identities with respect to hearing culture. As a result, DHH STEM students often encounter cultural stigmas and communication barriers that limit their access to mentored undergraduate research opportunities in biomedical laboratories. The primary mission of the proposed RIT U-RISE Scientists-in-Training Program for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Undergraduates (RIT U-RISE) is to diversify the biomedical research workforce by preparing 8 DHH undergraduates annually to enter biomedically related PhD programs at research-intensive universities. A secondary mission is to disseminate evidence-based best practices to scientists at other institutions to make biomedical research communities-of-practice more accessible and inclusive for DHH students. There are more than 1100 DHH students at RIT (6% of the student body). RIT institutional data shows that DHH baccalaureate students disproportionately gravitate to non-research biomedically related graduate programs despite persistence rates, graduation rates, and academic achievement on par with hearing students. To counter this trend, RIT U-RISE trainees will participate in evidence-based co- curricular enrichment and cohort building activities, specialized research ethics, safety, reproducibility, and science writing training, and intensive mentored research training in culturally supportive labs at RIT and research-intensive universities. Trainees will also present at national conferences. An individual development plan (IDP) based on targeted core scientific and professional competencies will guide each trainee’s program. Enhanced advising, monitoring, tutoring, and communication access services will ensure trainees have the psychosocial, academic, and institutional support to succeed in entering PhD programs. RIT U-RISE will provide cultural competency training for mentors and other faculty that fosters institutional change. Best practices for mentoring DHH PhD-bound undergraduates will be disseminated nationally. Fifteen RIT U-RISE trainees are expected to graduate by the end of the grant cycle and at least 8 to enter biomedically related PhD research programs within three years of graduation. RIT has the extensive DHH community and institutional resources, partnerships with post-graduate training programs at research-intensive universities, and rich administrative experience and infrastructure from the RIT-RISE program (2017-2022) to ensure the success of the RIT U-RISE program.