Initiative to Maximize Student Diversity at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center 2021

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This application for an Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD) T32 program at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center (UNM-HSC) requests support for predoctoral trainees within the umbrella Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program (BSGP). The BSGP provides a broad base of academic coursework followed by in-depth training in a chosen discipline with a research mentor. The goal of this IMSD program is supplement with additional training activities in writing and speaking, a strong cohort peer-mentoring program and additional institutional support programs. The program aims to increase the number of PhD graduates from underrepresented groups entering the Biomedical workforce through enhanced recruitment, retention and career development programs. Our location in a majority-minority state along with a history of training students from underrepresented minority (URM) groups, first generation college students and students from rural and low socioeconomic backgrounds will assist recruitment of IMSD-targeted trainees. A long record of successfully recruiting and training students from these groups is shown in the BSGP student population where more than one-third of current PhD students are from URM backgrounds. Additionally, the IMSD leadership has developed relationships with regional institutions with large populations of undergraduate students from underrepresented populations that we will utilize to further increase recruitment of IMSD-targeted groups. A proposed system of Learning Communities will provide faculty and peer mentoring in a culturally supportive environment to assist retention and student success. Each Learning Community includes a faculty mentor from an URM group along with IMSD students from each academic class to provide a safe place to discuss challenges and celebrate successes with peers. Students are introduced to Learning Communities at a four- week summer program that orients students to the UNM-HSC campus, provides an opportunity to begin their first research rotation and uses cohort building exercises and training workshops to integrate new students into the UNM community and to individual Learning Communities. After summer orientation, students have two semesters of core coursework before choosing a research mentor to oversee their dissertation research. All research mentors must complete rigorous training and will be reviewed annually. Career development programs will expose students to non-academic careers in biomedical sciences including a seminar series in Non-Academic Careers, networking exercises and options to get a transcripted certificate in University Science Teaching and a concentration in Science and Technology Management. More than fifty productive and collaborative faculty members from basic science and clinical departments are available to serve as faculty research mentors while Learning Community mentors and education specialists will provide non-research mentoring. Students will be selected during the admissions process as outlined in our trainee selection plan for a three-year appointment with post-IMSD support provided by individual fellowships or mentor-provided funding. Evaluation of the IMSD will be done in consultation with the Office of Program Evaluation, Education, and Research Office within the UNM-HSC who are experts in evaluation of education efficacy of students in biomedical fields. All program alumni will be tracked by the BSGP office with annual updates on de-identified trainee outcomes published on our website and disseminated in workshops and published reports presented by our education specialists at GREAT, SACNAS or other education meetings. Administrative support will be provided by the UNM-HSC School of Medicine Research Education Office, home to the BSGP.