Northwestern University Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program

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PROJECT SUMMARY This proposal aims to enhance diversity within the biomedical workforce by supporting the development of seven recent baccalaureate graduates from underrepresented backgrounds to be competitive for PhD programs in the best biomedical research-oriented universities in the country. The “Northwestern University Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (NU PREP)” represents an interdisciplinary initiative with leadership and participating faculty distributed across 14 departments and representing the four biomedical sciences graduate programs at NU. Given the breadth of both participating departments and applicants, PREP will create individualized plans for skill building tailored to each scholar's training objectives, thus providing the best preparation for success in graduate school. Experienced PREP mentors, in collaboration with PREP leadership will work with trainees to customize a one-year research program focused on developing critical thinking skills, research techniques, data analysis, and scientific communication. Preparation for graduate school admissions will include instruction on writing personal statements and interviewing skills, student and faculty perspectives panels on aspects of the application and interview process, and an optional GRE workshop. Coursework will include one advanced undergraduate course to complement the trainee's previous coursework, mini-courses in cellular physiology and molecular genetics, and scientific communication workshops. Intensive advising using Individual Development Plans will be done to ensure that skill building, research training and graduate school applications are progressing. PREP scholars will integrate into the local Northwestern Community through engagement with graduate students, postdocs, and faculty at seminars, retreats, and training events in one of ten institutional NIH-funded training programs and informal activities with graduate student mentors (NU Guides). Cohort building activities include participation in joint events and socials with the NU Causeway Postbaccalaureate Program; two joint socials with University of Chicago (UofC) and University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) PREP trainees; and a joint scientific conference with PREP trainees from the UofC, UIC, Mayo Clinic and University of Michigan. Broader community building and scientific networking will be achieved through attending Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) or the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS). PREP will be administered by the Director, three co-Investigators, a Program Coordinator, and an Advisory Committee. Program evaluation and fine tuning will be done annually through services provided by Northwestern's Searle Center for Teaching and Learning and Office for Research. The milestones of NU PREP are for at least 80% of trainees to be admitted to a top ranked biomedical sciences graduate program and for at least 80% of trainees to attain their PhD degrees within 6 years of graduate school matriculation. The one- year NU PREP program has been designed to achieve these milestones.