Advancing the Culture of Ph.D. Learning and Scholarship in Biology and Health Science

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ADVANCING THE CULTURE OF PhD LEARNING & SCHOLARSHIP IN BIOLOGY & HEALTH SCIENCES Project Summary: We propose to address the national shortage of underrepresented (UR) groups in science and to build capacity to train and produce UR PhDs in these fields. With emphasis on under-represented minorities (URMs) we will: a) Increase the numbers of U.S. UR students completing PhDs and pursuing science careers, and b) Expand our successful BioMed program to all non-BioMed STEM PhD programs in the university. a) We will strengthen BioMed collaborations where IMSD practices have triggered positive catalytic changes and capitalize on achievements by building new collaborations with institutions similarly committed to broadening STEM participation. IMSD has helped to increase BioMed's UR PhD student (specifically URMs) numbers from ~4% to 19.6%. This population accounts for 66% of all of our URM STEM PhD students. In 2014, as an IMSD outcome, Brown ranked 11th in the nation in producing African-American PhD holders in the biological & biomedical sciences. We will strive for similar milestones for all other UR groups in these fields. b) IMSD's inclusion of 13 non-BioMed STEM PhD programs will be initiated by building a critical mass of UR students in disciplines allied & convergent with the biological public health fields that lead to careers in these fields. We will increase the number of these university students from the current level of ~4.2% to ~15% in 5 years. Trainees will be supported in Applied Math, Chemistry, Cognitive, Linguistics & Psychological Sciences, Computer Science, 4 Engineering PhD programs, Physics and 4 Public Health PhD programs. In transforming the Brown BioMed IMSD Program into the Brown Institutional IMSD Program we will establish Brown as a national leader in producing scientists & scholars. Our maturing program will: ● Increase BioMed's UR graduate student population from our pre-IMSD era low of ~5% to 25%. ● Increase the non-BioMed (university) UR graduate population from its current level of~4.2% to 15%. ● Maximize outreach & support of all future IMSD students and non-IMSD students (the bystander effect) ● Institutionalize IMSD practices so that they are inherited broadly at Brown and at our partner institutions Brown IMSD's objectives will be met by achieving the following specific aims: 1) Expand the reach and impact of the Brown IMSD program through expanded internal and external program partnerships, 2) Build on IMSD's Multi-Faceted, Individualized Educational and Training Programs activities and 3) Broaden IMSD's institutional impact by improving institution-wide diversity practices. In the body of this proposal we provide background, and an assessment of the state of STEM training at Brown and provide a) a plan that will move Brown to the top10 in the nation in producing UR PhDs in all sciences, b) elevate Brown to `first among Ivies' and c) make Brown at attractive destination and inclusive rigorous environment for PhD training. Institutional support is provided by Brown's commitment to support 8 additional URM STEM PhD students to compliment the 14 that will be support by this proposal.