Summer Research Program for Diversity Students in PharmacoNeuroImmunology

 描述(由申请人提供)：药物神经免疫学多样性学生暑期研究项目是明尼苏达大学、克拉克·亚特兰大大学(CAU)和明尼苏达州立大学(MNSCU)的合作项目，旨在为本科生提供多样性不足的学生以实验室为基础的密集研究体验。该计划的总体目标是增加来自不同背景的代表性不足的个人对生物医学科学研究的参与。有一个公认的需要在一个跨学科和翻译领域培训生物医学科学家，重点是滥用药物与神经和免疫系统的相互作用，并将我们对这些生理相互作用的理解与它们的行为同行结合起来。我们将通过在明尼苏达大学为符合条件的多样化本科生提供为期8周的强化暑期研究体验来实现这一点，这将有助于他们成功进入生物医学研究生、医学、牙科或公共卫生相关项目。我们提议的综合计划将在克服明尼苏达大学少数族裔和非少数族裔多样性本科生和博士生之间仍然存在的差距方面发挥重要作用。我们的目标是为暑期本科生提供学术和研究技能，这些技能对于培养他们进入职业生涯下一个阶段--即博士课程或医学院--的竞争力至关重要。PNI暑期项目由以实验室为基础的密集研究经验组成，需要与专注于药物滥用研究的培训计划教员进行密切互动和指导。这项实验室工作还包括全面的教育课程，其中包括由项目教员就生物医学研究、伦理学和实验室安全主题举办的研讨会、期刊俱乐部，以及专注于学生研究的研讨会。我们提案的一个创新部分是创建并以翻转课堂的形式提供在线教育模块，并进行小组讨论。参与者将包括高年级(本科生二年级和三年级)的多元化学生。为期八周的项目将以前端的迎新周和后端的静修和海报演示结束，并附有一份关于他们暑期研究活动的简短书面报告。这项培训的目的是为学生在研究生院取得成功所需和预期的东西做好准备，提高他们对生物医学研究的兴趣，并向他们介绍研究技术、方法和职业选择。该提案的两个主要目标是目标1：在药物滥用领域提供跨学科的结构化研究经验；目标2：为生物医学科学的职业提供一整套技能。评估的三个标准包括：1)评估参与该计划的本科生和教职员工的暑期研究经验；2)评估PNI计划；3)评估参与该计划的学生的结果。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Summer Research Program for Diversity Students in PharmacoNeuroImmuology is a partnership between University of Minnesota, Clark Atlanta University (CAU) and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MNSCU) to provide undergraduate under-representative students of diversity an intensive laboratory-based research experience. The overall goal of the program is to increase the participation of underrepresented individuals from diverse backgrounds in research in the biomedical sciences. There is a well-recognized need to train biomedical scientists in an interdisciplinary and translational field that focuses on the interactions of drugs of abuse with the nervous and immune systems, and integrates our understanding of these physiological interactions with their behavioral counterparts. We will accomplish this by providing an intensive 8 week summer research experience at the University of Minnesota for qualified undergraduate students of diversity which will aid their successful entry into biomedical graduate, medical, dental, or publi health related programs. Our proposed comprehensive program will play a significant role in overcoming the still-existing disparities, between minority and non-minority diversity undergraduate and doctoral students at University of Minnesota. Our objectives are to provide the summer undergraduate students with the academic and research skills that are essential to developing their competitiveness toward entering the next phases of their career - i.e., doctoral programs or medical school. The PNI summer program is composed of an intensive laboratory- based research experience that entails close interaction with and mentorship by a training program faculty member that focuses on drug abuse research. This laboratory work is supplemented by a comprehensive educational curriculum, which includes seminars by program faculty on topics in biomedical research, ethics, and laboratory safety, journal clubs, and a focused student research symposium. An innovative component of our proposal is to create and deliver in a flipped classroom format online education modules with small group discussion. The participants will include upper division (sophomore and junior year of undergraduate) students of diversity. The eight week program will be book-ended by an orientation week at the front end and retreat and poster presentation at the backend, accompanied by a short written report of their summer research activities. This training is intended to prepare the students for what is needed and expected to succeed in graduate school, to increase their interest in biomedical research, and to introduce them to research - techniques, methodologies and career options. Two of the major aims of this proposal are Aim 1: To provide interdisciplinary structured research experience in the area of drug abuse; and Aim 2: To provide skill sets for careers in biomedical sciences. Three measures of evaluation include 1) Assessment of the summer research experience by participating undergraduate students and faculty in the program; 2) assessment of the PNI program and 3) assessment of the outcome of students that were in the program.