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）拥有全国最大的印第安学生入学率之一，并且有大量且不断增加的西班牙裔学生入学率。NAU的IMSD项目旨在提高生物医学研究领域少数族裔学生的保留率、学业成绩，并最终提高他们的研究生入学率。为此，NAU的这个非常成功的项目将在修订后的项目重点下继续进行：低级别本科生将在生物、化学和电气工程系挑选的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相结合，学生将意识到少数民族的健康差距，并学习生物医学研究如何解决少数民族社区面临的当前健康挑战。在学生学术生涯的早期阶段招募他们进行研究，并提供密集的指导，这将提高他们在项目和大学中的保留率。为来自代表性不足的少数民族背景的学生，特别是美国原住民学生提供在文化相关研究领域进行研究的机会，将增加学生对生物医学研究的兴趣，并提高学生作为生物医学研究人员的自我效能感。该计划将每年进行评估，以解决以下首要问题：促进学生在IMSD计划中取得成功并最终在生物医学研究事业中取得成功的个人，社会和结构因素是什么？本课程特别感兴趣的是一个相关问题：对少数民族健康差异的认识如何影响对生物医学研究事业的倾向？该计划成功的期望是在独特的URM学生群体的背景下制定的，并根据该大学过去IMSD计划的结果。达到以下结果将表明项目成功：(1)从第一年到第二年，注册IMSD项目的学生保留了75%，(2)60%的初始项目参与者成功完成了为期两年的培训项目，(3)使用拟议的评估工具量化了该项目在提高生物医学研究职业兴趣方面取得的可衡量的成功，(3)到第4年，50%的初始项目参与者进入生物医学科学研究生院。(4) IMSD博士生在NAU的第四年完成两个学位。

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.