Interdisciplinary Biochemistry Graduate Program

该项目将建立一个跨学科的生物化学研究生项目（IBGP），以招收和支持低收入和少数民族学生参加北卡罗莱纳州立大学分子与结构生物化学系的硕士项目。资助研究生24人，为期5年，每年资助7-8人。该计划将重点培养在农业、生物技术、食品生产、营养和医疗保健等地区重要行业工作所需的技能。参与者将获得基础生物化学的背景知识，并有机会解决植物生物学、微生物学、动物科学和食品与营养科学方面的问题。该项目将侧重于硕士水平的培训，认识到这些学生就业和晋升机会的快速增长，并希望为非洲裔美国人、西班牙裔美国人和印第安人提供获得高薪和有意义的工作的机会。将根据每个学生的背景和目标制定个性化课程，并建立各种支持系统。这些活动包括团队指导（学生既是被指导者又是导师）、与项目中的其他学生一起建立团队活动、文化意识培训以及职业和专业发展活动。学生的成功将根据课程的进展、课程支持策略的有效性和效率、在课程中建立归属感以及毕业后的就业情况来评估。IBGP将扩大生物化学硕士课程，包括跨学科培训，为低收入家庭的学生在食品、农业和人类健康方面的进一步学术研究或工业工作做好准备。目前招收有学术天赋的少数族裔和低收入家庭学生攻读生物化学硕士课程受到以下因素的限制：1)推广力度不够；2)缺乏资金支持；3)对不同背景学生的学术和社会支持有限；4)私营部门和学术职位的职业发展有限。本项目将系统地解决这些限制。学生将通过现有的研究生院和院系机制招募，并与北卡罗来纳州历史上的黑人学院和大学（HBCUs）联系。在选拔学生时将采用全面审查方法，包括传统的成绩指标和其他素质，如动机、领导能力和自我评价。发展个人和职业网络是学生成功的关键。学生将参加IBGP学生群体中的指导团队，与资深同行导师以及系外的外部导师合作。增强的学术支持包括进入项目之前的夏季桥梁课程，增加与研究生课程相关的讨论小组，以及个性化课程开发。学生将制定职业规划，以指导他们的学术和研究选择，包括可能的行业实习、研讨会和讲习班。IBGP将促进生物化学和相关部门之间的跨学科培训，以增加硕士生的就业机会。将收集定性和定量数据，对学生招聘、学生融入课程、学生在课程中的进步以及职业发展进行形成性和总结性评估。

This project will establish an interdisciplinary Biochemistry Graduate Program (IBGP) to recruit and support low-income and minority students to the Master's program in the Department of Molecular & Structural Biochemistry at North Carolina State University. Scholarship support will be provided for 24 graduate students over the course of 5 years, with 7-8 students sponsored each year. The program will focus on developing the skills necessary for working in regionally important industries including agriculture, biotechnology, food production, nutrition and healthcare. Participants will gain a background in basic biochemistry, with opportunities to address problems in Plant Biology, Microbiology, Animal Science, and Food and Nutrition Sciences. The program will focus on Master's level training, in recognition of fast-growing opportunities for employment and advancement for these students, and hopes to provide access to well-paying and meaningful jobs for African Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans. Individualized curricula will be formulated to fit the background and goals of each student, and a variety of support systems will be established. These include team mentoring, where the student is both mentee and mentor, cohort building activities with other students in the program, cultural awareness training, and career and professional development activities. Student success will be assessed in terms of progress through the program, effectiveness and efficiency of the curriculum support strategies, establishment of a sense of belonging within the program, and workforce placement after graduation.The IBGP will expand the Biochemistry Master's program to include interdisciplinary training, preparing low-income students for further academic research or industry jobs at the nexus of food, agriculture and human health. Currently recruitment of academically talented minority and low-income students to the Biochemistry Master's program is limited by: 1) insufficient outreach; 2) lack of financial support; 3) limited academic and social support for students of diverse backgrounds; and 4) limited career development for private sector as well as academic positions. This project will systematically address these limitations. Students will be recruited through existing Graduate School and Departmental mechanisms, and outreach to North Carolina's Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). A holistic review approach will be utilized in selecting students, including traditional performance indicators and other qualities such as motivation, leadership and self-appraisal. Developing personal and professional networks are key to students' success. Students will participate in mentoring teams within the cohort of IBGP students, with senior peer mentors, and with external mentors outside of the department. Enhanced academic support includes summer bridge classes prior to entering the program, added discussion groups associated with graduate classes, and individualized curriculum development. Students will develop career plans to inform their academic and research choices, including possible industry internships, seminars and workshops. The IBGP will foster interdisciplinary training between Biochemistry and associated departments to increase career opportunities for Master's students. Both qualitative and quantitative data will be collected for formative and summative assessments of student recruitment, student integration into the program, student progress through the program, and career development.