Mentoring Young Minds to Increase Diversity in the Biomedical Research

描述(由申请人提供)：多元化的教育和科学社区是培养一支强大的劳动力队伍的重要组成部分，能够在新的全球经济中应对美国的技术和社会挑战。然而，与社会经济地位较高群体的学生相比，弱势社会和经济背景的学生接受研究生教育(博士水平)的机会仍然较低。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。为了解决这个问题，加州大学圣迭戈分校于2008年设立了学生发展最大化倡议(IMSD)计划，重点是激励、指导和促进经济和社会背景较差的学生和残疾学生从大学过渡到研究生院。UCSD-IMSD项目由三个连续的阶段组成，旨在指导学生从他们最初的大学教育到授予生物医学博士学位。第一阶段旨在通过基本方法论培训实验室(BMTL)内的基本实验教学，将没有研究经验或以前的研究经验有限的新生介绍到科学工作中。在这种情况下，学生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)，为他们参与有组织的研究项目做好准备。在第二阶段，学生在成熟、资金充足的研究人员的指导下，参与动手的、板凳上的研究项目。因此，学生们在科学的几个方面接受培训，包括实验设计、执行、数据分析和演示，增加了他们作为研究生院候选人的竞争力。此外，还鼓励学生注册博士课程，并在此过程中给予帮助。被加州大学圣迭戈分校研究生项目(第三阶段)录取的学生将被指导完成博士工作，在申请奖学金时得到帮助，并被告知各种研究职业，特别是博士后培训。

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.