Mentoring Young Minds to Increase Diversity in the Biomedical Research

描述（由申请人提供）：多样化的教育和科学社区是发展一支强大的劳动力队伍的重要组成部分，这支队伍可以应对美国在新的全球经济中面临的技术和社会挑战。然而，与来自更优越的社会经济群体的个人相比，来自弱势社会经济背景的学生获得研究生教育（博士学位）的机会仍然很低。这种差异在学术生活中被放大，导致大多数美国大学缺乏教师多样性。为了解决这一问题，加州大学圣地亚哥分校于2008年成立了“学生发展最大化计划”（IMSD），该计划的重点是激励、指导和促进来自经济和社会背景不利的学生以及残疾学生从大学到研究生院的过渡。UCSD-IMSD项目由三个连续的阶段组成，旨在指导学生从最初的大学教育到获得生物医学科学博士学位。第一阶段旨在通过基础方法论训练实验室（BMTL）的基础实验指导，将没有或只有有限研究经验的大一新生引入科学工作。在此背景下，学生将学习基本的研究原则和技能（实验室安全、基本技术、数据收集和分析），为参加有组织的研究项目做好准备。在第二阶段，学生在知名的、资金充足的研究人员的指导下参与动手实验研究项目。因此，学生在科学的几个方面进行训练，包括实验设计，执行，数据分析和演示，增加他们作为研究生候选人的竞争力。此外，学生被鼓励参加博士课程，并在此过程中得到帮助。被加州大学圣地亚哥分校研究生课程（第三阶段）录取的学生将被指导完成博士学位工作，在申请奖学金方面得到协助，并了解各种研究职业，特别强调博士后培训。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A diverse educational and scientific community is a vital component for developing a robust work force that can address the technological and social challenges of the U.S. in a new global economy. However, the access of students from disadvantaged social and economic backgrounds to graduate education (Ph.D. level) is still low in comparison with individuals from more privileged socioeconomic groups. This disparity is amplified during academic life, resulting in a lack of faculty diversity at most U.S. universities.To address this problem, the Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD) program was established in 2008 at UCSD, which focuses on motivating, mentoring, and facilitating the transition of students from disadvantaged economic and social backgrounds and students with disabilities from college to graduate school. The UCSD-IMSD program is composed of three consecutive phases directed at mentoring students from their initial college education to the awarding of a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences. Phase 1 is directed at introducing freshmen students with no or limited prior research experience to scientific work via fundamental experimental instruction within the Basic Methodology Training Laboratory (BMTL). In this setting, students learn the essential research principles and skills (laboratory safety, basic techniques, data collection, and analysis) that will prepare them to participate in organized research projects. During Phase 2, students participate in hands-on, bench research projects under the mentorship of established, well-funded investigators. Thus, students are trained in several aspects of science, including experimental design, execution, data analysis and presentations, increasing their competitiveness as graduate school candidates. In addition, students are motivated to enroll into Ph.D. programs and assisted during the process. Students that are accepted in a UCSD graduate program (Phase 3) are mentored toward the completion of the Ph.D. work, are assisted in the application to fellowships and informed about various research careers, with special emphasis on postdoctoral training.