THE NATIONAL WEB SITE FOR MINORITY SCIENTISTS

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EXCEED THE SPACE PROVIDED. This proposal responds to a well-documented need to increase the number of successful underrepresented minorities, among African American, Latino and Native American scientists in the biomedical sciences. The plan is to improve an existing web site, the Just Garcia Hill Science Web Site (JGH, www.iustgarciahill.org) to the level of a national web site for underrepresented minority scientists and would-be scientists. This virtual community focuses on the development of minorities in biomedical science research. The site contains mechanisms to facilitate collaboration, networking, communication and mentoring. We shall develop the site collaboratively with national scientific professional societies including Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society (http://www.sigmaxi.org1 and the minority affairs committees of several major scientific professional societies. An important component of this project is to complete an on-line database containing under-represented minority scientists and aspiring scientists. Although the total number of under-represented minority scientists and students is small, developing a comprehensive database is challenging, and it has eluded even government agencies and professional societies to date. Some of the expected outcomes of the proposed site are as follows: a) expansion of the on-line database of underrepresented minority biomedical scientists; b) development of an interactive network for scientists to collaborate, communicate and participate in mentoring activities; c) promotion of conferences and symposia of particular interest to minority scientists; d) publication of biographies of minority scientists who will serve as role models, speakers and consultants; e) promotion of the activities of the minority affairs committees and workshops of several national professional societies, and expansion of access to a wider network of minority scientists; f) posting of job opportunities, summer traineeships and research opportunities for minority scientists; g) extension of the impact of major seminars and workshops in annual symposia and meetings of the professional societies by providing on-line text a:nd video summaries; h) development of on-line mechanisms for polling and discussion among minority scientists; and i) publication of an electronic magazine of interest to minority scientists. We expect measurable increases in these activities and plan frequent evaluation of the efficacy of our strategies during the period of the grant. This coordinated national effort will complement the efforts of individual professional societies to increase the number of successful underreoresented minorities in science research. PERFORMANCE SITE ========================================Section End===========================================