Expanding Participation by Minorities in Biomedical Sciences

描述（由申请人提供）：NIH IMSD研究生研究员计划对UMBC少数族裔（URM）的博士水平培训产生了巨大影响。自1997年成立以来，大学在支援学系（生物、化学、生物化学、化学/机械工程、人类服务心理学及物理）的参与，分别由0%、1%、0%、1%、8%及0%增至14%、15%、28%、10%、13%及7%。2007年，我们的姐妹校区马里兰大学巴尔的摩分校（UMB）扩展了生命科学研究生课程（GPILS），在过去的4年里，UMB的URM GPILS入学人数大幅增加了50%。自1997年以来，IMSD的入学人数呈线性增长，目前有66名博士生就读于UMBC/UMB IMSD联合项目（47名非洲裔美国人，13名西班牙裔美国人，1名印第安人，1名太平洋岛民，4名非urm（1名高加索人，3名中东裔女性））。保留率（当前资助期为91%）达到了历史最高水平，并且URM博士的产量急剧增加，从IMSD之前的15年里授予6个URM博士学位到2001年第一位IMSD研究员毕业（10年）以来授予IMSD研究员的46个博士学位。在46名毕业生中，32名（70%）直接进入博士后或住院医师岗位。虽然目前支助期的几乎所有数量目标都已实现，但仍然存在重大挑战。值得注意的是，虽然完成博士后培训的13名IMSD毕业生中有10人在政府或行业中获得了与研究相关的职位，但只有2人获得了全职教职（目前都是非终身教职）。另外7名毕业生在大学担任兼职、非终身教职或教学职位。由于墨尔本管理学院全职教员的同事可能会作为导师和榜样产生最广泛的影响，我们显然必须更好地为IMSD毕业生做好准备，以应对负面影响他们对学院兴趣的压力。我们必须特别解决与NIH最近的研究结果相关的负面压力，即与同等准备的白人同事相比，urm不太可能成功竞争NIH的资金。我们现在建议修改我们的IMSD研究员计划，以更好地为有兴趣的IMSD研究员的学术生涯做好准备-这是国家的主要需求。目标包括:(1) IMSD的入学人数继续保持线性增长，同时保持较高的保留率；(2)在URM增长滞后的院系增加URM的入学人数；(3)实施新的市中心高中外展组成部分，以加强早期管道；(4)实施新的资助要素，以更好地为学生做好准备并增强信心；(5)与URM外部教师建立一对一的导师伙伴关系，以促进博士项目以外的指导和支持；(6)实施机构间IMSD演讲者交流计划，以增加高级研究员的曝光率，并帮助他们与支持机构中高度活跃的研究科学家进行匹配。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The NIH IMSD Graduate Fellows Program has had a dramatic impact on PhD-level training of Underrepresented Minorities (URM) at UMBC. Since its inception in 1997, URM participation in supported departments (biology, chemistry, biochemistry, chemical/mechanical engineering, human services psychology, and physics) has increased from 0%, 1%, 0%, 1%, 8%, and 0%, respectively, to 14%, 15%, 28%, 10%, 13%, and 7%, respectively. Expansion to the Graduate Program in Life Science (GPILS) at our sister campus, the University of Maryland Baltimore (UMB), in 2007 triggered a dramatic 50% increase in URM GPILS enrollment at UMB over the past 4 years. IMSD enrollment has increased linearly since 1997, with 66 PhD students currently enrolled in the combined UMBC/UMB IMSD Program (47 African American, 13 Hispanic, 1 Native American, 1 Pacific Islander, 4 non-URM (1 Caucasian, 3 women of Middle Eastern descent)). Retention (91% in the current funding period) has reached an all-time high, and URM PhD production has increased dramatically, from 6 URM PhD degrees awarded over the 15 years preceding IMSD to 46 PhDs awarded to IMSD Fellows since our first IMSD Fellow graduated in 2001 (a 10 year period). Of the 46 graduates, 32 (70%) matriculated directly to Postdoctoral or Residency positions. Although nearly all of the quantitative objectives of the current support period have been met, significant challenges remain. In particular, although 10 of the 13 IMSD graduates that have completed postdoctoral training obtained research- related positions in government or industry, only 2 matriculated to full time faculty positions (both currently non- tenure track). Seven additional graduates who are fully employed hold adjunct, non-tenure track college faculty or teaching positions. Since URM colleagues in full time faculty positions are likely to have the broadest impact as mentors and role models, we clearly must do a better job of preparing our IMSD graduates for pressures that are negatively impacting their interest in the Academy. We must particularly address negative pressures related to recent NIH findings that URMs are less likely to successfully compete for NIH funding compared to equally-prepared Caucasian colleagues. We now propose modifications to our IMSD Fellows Program that will better prepare interested IMSD Fellows for academic careers - a major national need. Objectives include: (1) continued linear growth in IMSD enrollment while maintaining high retention rate, (2) increasing URM enrollment in departments where URM growth has lagged, (3) implementation of new inner city high school outreach components, to enhance the early pipeline, (4) implementation of new grantsmanship elements, to better prepare students and boost confidence, (5) establishment of one-on-one mentor partnerships with external URM faculty, to facilitate mentoring and support beyond the PhD Program, and (6) implementation of an inter-institutional IMSD speaker exchange program, to increase exposure of senior Fellows and help match them with highly active research scientists at supportive institutions.