Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity in the Biomedical Sciences at Norther

描述(由申请人提供)：北亚利桑那大学(NAU)拥有全国最大的美国原住民学生入学人数之一，并有大量的西班牙裔学生入学，而且人数还在不断增加。北卡罗来纳大学的IMSD计划旨在提高生物医学研究领域中未被充分代表的少数族裔学生的留校率、学业成绩，并最终提高研究生的入学率。为此，北卡罗来纳大学非常成功的项目将继续以修订后的计划为重点：较低级别的本科生将在来自生物、化学和电气工程系的精选教师导师的实验室中参与与文化相关的科学研究。通过实践研究经验和规定的课程安排，学生将了解少数群体的健康差距，并了解生物医学研究如何解决当前少数群体社区面临的健康挑战。在学生学术生涯的早期阶段招募他们从事研究，并提供密集的指导，将促进该项目和大学的留住。为来自少数族裔背景的学生，特别是美洲原住民学生，提供在与文化相关的研究领域进行研究的机会，将提高学生将生物医学研究作为职业的兴趣，并提高学生作为生物医学研究人员的自我效能。该项目将每年评估一次，以解决以下首要问题：哪些个人、社会和结构因素推动学生在IMSD项目中取得成功，并最终在生物医学研究职业生涯中取得成功？这个项目特别感兴趣的是一个相关的问题：对少数族裔健康差距的认识如何影响对生物医学研究职业的倾向？该项目的成功预期是在这所大学独特的URM学生群体的背景下，并根据该大学过去IMSD项目的结果而制定的。以下成果的实现将标志着项目的成功：(1)保留了75%的一年级到二年级的IMSD项目注册学生，(2)&GT；60%的初始项目参与者成功完成了为期两年的培训项目，(3)项目在提高人们对生物医学研究职业的兴趣方面取得了可衡量的成功，(3)在第四年级之前，&gt；50%的初始项目参与者进入了生物医学科学研究生院，(4)到第四年级，IMSD博士生完成了两个学位。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Northern Arizona University (NAU) has one of the largest Native American student enrollments in the country, and has a large and increasing Hispanic enrollment. The IMSD program at NAU seeks to improve retention, academic achievement and, ultimately, graduate school enrollment of underrepresented minority students in biomedical research fields. To this end, the highly successful program at NAU will continue with a revised programmatic focus: lower-division undergraduates will participate in culturally relevant scientific research in the labs of select faculty mentors from the departments of Biology, Chemistry and Electrical Engineering. Through a combination of hands-on research experience and prescribed coursework, students will be made aware of minority health disparities and learn how biomedical research can address current health challenges facing minority communities. Enlisting students in research at an early stage of their academic career and providing intensive mentoring will promote retention in the program and the university. Providing students from underrepresented minority backgrounds, particularly Native American students, with opportunities to conduct research in culturally relevant research areas will increase students' interest in biomedical research as a career and improve students' self-efficacy as biomedical researchers. The program will be evaluated annually to address the following overarching question: What are the individual, social and structural factors that promote student success in the IMSD program and, ultimately, in biomedical research careers? Of particular interest to this program is a related question: How does awareness of minority health disparities affect inclination toward a biomedical research career? Expectations for success of the program are framed in the context of the unique URM student population and in light of results of past IMSD programs at this university. Achievement of the following outcomes will indicate program success: (1) retention of 75% of the students enrolled in the IMSD program from year 1 to year 2, (2) successful completion of the 2-year training program by >60% of initial program participants, (3) measurable success of the program in increasing interest in biomedical research careers as quantified using the proposed evaluation instruments, (3) placement of >50% of the initial program participants into graduate school in biomedical sciences by year 4, (4) completion of two degrees by IMSD doctoral students at NAU by year 4.