NIH-LLU Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity

描述（由申请人提供）：美国国立卫生研究院的使命是通过生物医学研究、科学培训和教育来改善所有美国人的健康状况。为了实现这一目标，我们需要成功地培养一支多样化的科学家队伍，他们随时准备取得突破，从而开发出治疗当前致命疾病的新疗法，减少并最终消除当前的健康差距。洛马林达大学最大限度地提高学生多样性计划（IMSD）的使命是增加在该机构获得博士或医学博士学位的学生干部的多样性。为了实现这一目标，这一竞争性更新申请提出了一个全面的计划，该计划应导致从洛马琳达大学获得博士学位的少数族裔学生（URMS）人数的增加。该计划特别侧重于识别和消除可能阻碍URMS在研究生院成功的障碍。该申请的目标是将LLU生物医学科学博士学位毕业生的数量增加一倍。该申请将通过满足六个具体的可衡量的目标来实现这一目标：(1)每年招募和支持5个新的有前途的URMS参加LLU- NIH IMSD计划。(2)参加项目的博士生毕业率达到100%。(3)为所有LLU IMSD学生提供支持性的学术和财务环境。(4)通过参与课外活动，如科学写作和交流、研究计划制定和教学技能等模块，提高所有LLU IMSD学生的学术和研究能力。(5)所有LLU IMSD学生每年至少参加一次主要的国家和两次区域/地方科学会议，并在博士期间发表至少两篇第一作者手稿。(6)通过参加一单元的健康差异主题课程，增加精通健康差异领域的研究生数量。LLU-NIH IMSD项目已经成功地实现了它的目标，因为发展了一个强大的内部多元化项目管道，以及与全国各地合作机构的多元化项目的持续合作伙伴关系，这些机构与我们分享了培养多样化生物医学科学家的愿景。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The mission of the National Institutes of Health is to improve the health status of all Americans through biomedical research and scientific training and education. To reach this goal we need to succeed in developing a diverse group of scientists ready to make breakthroughs that result in the development of novel therapies to treat current killer diseases and the reduction and ultimate elimination of current health disparities. The mission of the Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity Program (IMSD) at Loma Linda University is to increase diversity in the cadre of students that graduate with PhD or MD-PhD degrees at this institution. To accomplish this goal, this competitive renewal application proposes a comprehensive plan that should lead to an increase in the number of underrepresented minority students (URMS) that graduate with a PhD degree from Loma Linda University. The program especially focuses in identifying and removing hurdles that can inhibit success of URMS in graduate school. The goal of the application is to double the number of URMS that graduate with a PhD degree in the biomedical sciences at LLU. The application will accomplish this goal by meeting six specific measurable objectives: (1) To recruit and support 5 new promising URMS per year that participate in the LLU- NIH IMSD program. (2) To achieve a 100% graduation rate of PhD students participating in the program. (3) To provide a supportive academic and financial environment to all LLU IMSD students. (4) To enhance the academic and research proficiency of all LLU IMSD students through participation in co-curricular activities such as modules on scientific writing and communication, research proposal development, and teaching skills. (5) To have all LLU IMSD students attend at least one major national and two regional/local scientific meetings per year, and publish a minimum of two first author manuscripts during the PhD. (6) To increase the number of graduate URMS who are proficient in the field of health disparities through participation in a 1-unit topic course on health disparities. The LLU-NIH IMSD program has been successful in reaching its goals and objectives because of the development of a robust internal pipeline of diversity programs, and a continued partnership with diversity programs from collaborating institutions around the country that share with us the vision of training a diverse workforce of biomedical scientists. Public health relevance: Finding the cure of current killer diseases in the USA requires developing a diverse cadre of biomedical scientists that are well trained and equipped to pursue cutting-edge basic and translational science research. The present application contains a comprehensive educational developmental plan that addresses well known hurdles that interfere with the aspirations of universities across the country in increasing the number of PhD graduates from students underrepresented in biomedical sciences.