UAB Neuroscience Roadmap Scholars Program

我们寻求继续为阿拉巴马大学伯明翰分校(UAB)的神经科学路线图学者(RMS)计划提供R25的资金。尽管在过去十年中，获得科学博士学位的少数族裔(URM)群体的美国公民数量有所增加，但URM仍然只占美国科学家的一小部分。我们的神经科学路线图学者计划针对阻碍成功的障碍，目标是通过在博士生涯早期为他们提供必要的工具和技能，增加神经科学研究领域不同背景的学员的数量，使神经科学研究成为终身职业选择。该计划的具体“增值”部分包括为来自全国各地的UAB学生和神经科学博士生举办的一年一度的东南地区神经(代表不足的学术领袖国家增强)夏季会议，与除学者研究导师之外提供支持的职业教练的互动，团队建设务虚会，同行指导和本科生指导，以及独特的课程和课外活动。随着UAB医学院和综合神经科学中心对神经科学的持续投资，神经科学路线图学者计划的未来是安全的，学者们将从充满活力的神经科学环境中受益，该环境已经吸引了9600万美元的校外资金。在第一个获奖期内，该计划的成功得到了以下方面的证实：在UAB接受神经科学培训的代表不足的学生的注册和参与人数超过预期，成功获得学者颁发的校外奖学金，以及83%的毕业生预科进入博士后奖学金，而其他生物医学学生的比例为67%。下一个资助期的目标是从这一成功、学者、职业指导以及内部和外部评估中获得的信息。

We seek continued R25 funding for the Neuroscience Roadmap Scholars (RMS) Program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Although the number of U.S. citizens from underrepresented minority (URM) groups earning doctoral degrees in science has increased over the past decade, URMs continue to represent a small proportion of the scientists in the United States. Our Neuroscience Roadmap Scholars Program targets the obstacles impeding success with the goal of increasing the number of trainees from diverse backgrounds in neuroscience research by providing them with the necessary tools and skills early in their PhD careers essential to making neuroscience research a life-long career choice. The specific “value added” components of the Program include the annual southeast regional NEURAL (National Enhancement of Under Represented Academic Leaders) summer conference for UAB students and neuroscience doctoral students from across the country, interactions with Career Coaches who provide support separate from the Scholar’s Research mentor, team building retreats, peer-to peer mentoring and undergraduate mentoring, and distinct curricular and extracurricular activities. With continued investment in Neuroscience at UAB by the School of Medicine and the Comprehensive Neuroscience Center, the future of the Neuroscience Roadmap Scholars Program is secure, and Scholars will benefit from the vibrant neuroscience environment that has attracted $96M in extramural funding. Success of the Program during the first award period is substantiated by the greater than expected enrollment and participation by underrepresented students training in neuroscience at UAB, the success in securing extramural fellowship awards by Scholars, and the 83% matriculation of graduates to postdoctoral fellowships compared to 67% of other biomedical science students. Goals for the next funding period are informed by this success, and input from Scholars, Career Coaches, and internal and external evaluation.