UCSF IRACDA Scholars Program

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SUPPLEMENT K12GM081266 - PROJECT SUMMARY: UCSF IRACDA Scholars Program The need for increased representation of a diverse workforce in biomedical research at the academic level is clear and well-documented. This renewal application requests resources to continue our four-year Scholars research training program at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) in partnership with San Francisco State University (SFSU). The goal of the program, which began in 2007, is to increase the number of highly trained, successfully funded and sustainable research scientists, who will perform research and teaching and increase the diversity of younger trainees in biomedical research careers. To this end, UCSF has partnered with SFSU to build a program that provides comprehensive science and teaching training for mentoring Ph.D. scholars who are committed to an academic career and impacting underserved minority trainees. The key elements of our training program are (1) a mentored research experience, (2) a mentored teaching experience at SFSU, (3) monthly career development workshops, (4) interdisciplinary scientific experiences and (5) continuing review and evaluation. The centerpiece of the program is the 4-years of training, with the initial three years covered by the training grant and the last year covered by the PI funds or Independent Development Awards. The majority of this training (75%) is devoted to intense research training in basic sciences with the remaining training devoted to teaching experiences at SFSU and mentoring experiences with undergraduate underrepresented students from SFSU and the UCSF SRTP program. Faculty mentors are affiliated with the Mission Bay and Parnassus UCSF campuses and are members of multiple Departments, organized research units, and training programs. External Advisors and periodic evaluation will be a critical part of continued excellence and achievement of stated goals. All Scholars take courses in Responsible Conduct in Research and each Scholar is expected to interact with a team of at least three Faculty Research mentors and two Teaching mentors during their training; meeting on a regular basis to assist in setting, and then monitoring training and career goals. Our program has a strong track record of recruiting exceptional Scholars representing diverse backgrounds. Nearly 80% of the 51 current and past scholars are from historically marginalized groups. Past UCSF IRACDA Scholars have produced an average of 3.1 peer-review publications (0-17 range). Nearly 40% of our past scholars have assumed academic positions at R1/R3 Research Institutions (including Brown, Columbia, Vanderbilt, UCSD, UCSF, U of Arkansas, SFSU, and SJSU), and another 15% continue to be work in academic settings. We believe the Program’s strong outcomes data, the collaborative research/training environment at UCSF, and the well-established relationship between UCSF and SFSU provide a compelling case for renewing and expanding this unique training opportunity to train and produce diverse future generations of leaders in biomedical science.