UCLA Short-Term Research Experience to Unlock Potential (UCLA STEP-UP)

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The University of California, Los Angeles proposes to serve as a Coordinating Center for the Western Region for the NIH-NIDDK NIDDK Short-Term Experience Program to Unlock Potential (STEP-UP) Program. The UCLA STEP-UP will provide an enriched summer research experience for promising high school students from underrepresented racial/ethnic minority (URM) groups as well as students from other groups underrepresented (URG) in medicine and science. The overarching goal of the UCLA STEP-UP is to prepare participating students for research careers in the biomedical and clinical health sciences. The paucity of participation from URM and URG communities in the scientific research workforce is a critical limitation affecting the future of health research, and ultimately our nation’s health. Access to a high-quality biomedical science education required for a research career remains largely influenced by factors such as socioeconomic class, race/ethnicity, gender and/or national origin. There is a critical need to motivate and equip URM and URG high school students with the requisite skill set to critically understand, explore and engage in scientific research, as well as the confidence and communication skill set required for advancement in scientific careers. Early interventions in the high school education timeline can help to build a diverse and inclusive scientific workforce. The Program’s main components include: 1) Understanding responsible conduct of research, 2) Exposure to scientific research environments, 3) Developing relationships with research mentors, 4) Basic statistics, 5) Use of common laboratory equipment, 6) Development of a research abstract, 7) Lessons in health disparities, and how biomedical research can improve health outcomes, 8) College planning, 9) Research presentation skills, and 10) Scientific career exploration. The Program’s overarching goal is to increase the number of URM and URG high school students prepared to pursue careers in NIDDK mission area related biomedical and clinical health sciences. To this end, the Specific Aims are as follows: Specific Aim 1: To engage 25 URM or URG high school students in the US Western Region each year in a mentored, summer scientific research experience in basic, clinical, or translational research related to conditions within the NIDDK mission. Specific Aim 2: To provide 25 URM or URG high school students each year with an end of program opportunity to present written reports and PowerPoint presentations based on their summer research projects at the annual NIDDK STEP-UP research symposium on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland. Specific Aim 3: To evaluate the effectiveness of the UCLA STEP-UP to prepare 25 URM or URG high school students each year to conduct biomedical research, engage with research mentors, produce a scientific presentation, enhance their desire to pursue and successfully graduate with a STEM undergraduate major, and pursue graduate programs in a science-related field focusing on NIDDK mission areas.