Increasing Diversity in Experiential Research Education at Michigan State University



 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Population-specific differences in the presence of disease, health outcomes, or access to health care are termed "health disparities" and they are a significant concern in our society. Lack of representation of the underserved groups-which includes minorities, financially disadvantaged, and disabled individuals-in the biomedical research and healthcare workforce has been identified as a critical factor underlying health disparities. Indeed, disparities in the demographics of individuals entering careers in biomedical research are well documented. Biomedical knowledge and healthcare will undoubtedly benefit from broader inclusion of underrepresented individuals engaged in biomedical research as inclusive research teams have broader perspectives in setting research agendas, can more effectively recruit diverse subjects into clinical research studies, and work more effectively to deliver health care and reduce health disparities. Experiential learning by active engagement in research is an effective way to nurture the next generation of scientists and health care professionals. Thus, this proposal is designed to recruit and comprehensively immerse college students from underrepresented groups in summer research experiences on the campus of Michigan State University. These research experiences will be focused on three major areas: hypertension, airway disease and blood cells and components in tissue pathology. The objective of the proposed education research program is to increase the number of students from underrepresented groups who pursue biomedical research-related educational goals and career paths relevant to the mission areas of the NHLBI. The strategy we propose to meet this objective involves 1) providing program participants an immersive research experience for the purpose of exposing them to the various aspects of a research career, 2) facilitating the development of networks of mentors and peers for the purpose of creating a community that is supportive of the participants' research-related interests, and 3) fostering the participants' successes so as to give them the confidence needed to pursue a research-related career. Implementation of these strategies will accomplish the specific aims (SA) to: (SA1) expose college students to high quality research in the areas of heart, lung and blood diseases; (SA2) provide comprehensive exposure to the various aspects of biomedical research through an organized program of activities; (SA3) bolster the trainees' understanding of the critical concepts of responsible conduct of research; (SA4) recruit trainees from underrepresented backgrounds into these research experiences; and (SA5) determine the effectiveness of our programming in enhancing diversity in health-related biomedical research. (End of Abstract)