PiNBAC: The Program in Neuroscience Post-Baccalaureate Training Program

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Project Summary Although there is a robust training infrastructure in the neurosciences that is supported by NIH, there remain several important opportunities for increasing the representation of underrepresented minorities and other historically disadvantaged groups in brain science. There is a population of undergraduates with formal training in the neurosciences (obtained via classroom-based work) who nevertheless have not had the opportunity for a high-quality, longitudinal research experience. This same population frequently also lacks access to the relevant mentorship required for success in applying to graduate school and then subsequently for success in neuroscience research. Because longitudinal research experience is arguably one of the few traditional admissions criteria that predict future success in graduate school, many applicants that lack such experience are denied admission to graduate school on this basis alone. There therefore exists an educational gap, one we propose to address here through PiNBAC, the Harvard Program in Neuroscience post- baccalaureate program. Through the support of the Department of Neurobiology and the T32-funded Harvard PhD Program in Neuroscience (PiN), PiNBAC was started in 2021 with an inaugural class of seven total scholars; two of these scholars applied to graduate school this year (one will matriculate to Harvard, the other to Yale), with the remaining five to apply in the fall. The initial iteration of PiNBAC included a substantial research experience in which each scholar was asked to make an intellectual contribution to a project (rather than solely serving in a technical support role), substantial mentorship both in applying to graduate school and in the “hidden curriculum” of higher education and scientific training, integration of PiN graduate programming to enhance PiNBAC training, and a specific longitudinal course to give each scholar space to reflect and learn more about science from their peers. Informal feedback and early survey results suggest that the initial version of PiNBAC has been a success: feedback from students and mentors reveals both that the program addresses a clear gap in available educational resources, and that participants feel the program is effective at making a difference. Here we propose to further develop PiNBAC, and to build on its strengths, by expanding the formal neuroscience-specific curriculum offered to scholars. PiNBAC is rooted in an innovative data-driven pedagogical approach that has been very successfully piloted in the last year. It is our hope that through this application we can help to build the next generation of diverse leaders in the field.