UAB Blazer BRAIN (Broadening Representation And Inclusion in Neuroscience) Summer Program

项目摘要 我们寻求NINDS R25资金为开拓者大脑（扩大代表性和包容性的神经科学） 在伯明翰的亚拉巴马大学（UAB）学习。虽然美国公民的数量从 在过去，获得科学博士学位的少数民族（URM）群体有所增加 在过去的十年中，URM仍然只占美国科学家的一小部分。我们的UAB Blazer BRAIN计划是一项夏季研究体验，旨在消除阻碍成功的障碍，目标是 增加神经科学研究中来自不同背景的受训者的数量。我们将招募有才华的 本科生从我们的五个合作伙伴HBCU机构在AL，并在全国重点东南部 地区我们的目标是让Blazer BRAIN本科学者了解健康神经系统的研究 和神经系统疾病在UAB在我们的联邦资助的教师导师的实验室。与持续 在UAB的神经科学投资由医学院和综合神经科学中心， Blazer Brain计划的未来是安全的，学者们将从充满活力的神经科学中受益。 UAB的环境，目前超过6000万美元的NIH资金，其中约2400万美元来自NINDS。 开拓者大脑计划将包括由计划主任和研究教师导师的职业建议。 此外，Blazer BRAIN计划将与NIH R25资助的UAB路线图学者（RMS）合作。 该计划也旨在促进神经科学研究的多样性，但在研究生水平，通过匹配 Blazer BRAIN学者与RMS抱负导师（RAM），让我们的学者“看到自己”， 从事生物医学研究的科学家。Blazer BRAIN学者也将受邀参加RMS神经 每年夏天在UAB举行。Blazer BRAIN计划的其他增值组件包括 从他们的导师那里学习职业和工作生活平衡，作为一个主要的生物医学神经科学家， 研究型大学;科学交流技能的提高;在学术会议上展示研究成果的机会 区域（UAB夏季研究博览会）和国家（ABRCMS，SACNAS或SfN）会议;以及 准备研究生院的申请。我们在初始融资期的主要目标是证明 Blazer BRAIN学者博士课程录取率至少为60%。一个严格的评估计划是地方 与指标设计，以实现这一成功，与输入将收到从开拓者大脑学者，导师， 以及内部和外部咨询委员会。如果成功，UAB Blazer BRAIN计划将增加 神经科学研究的多样性，反过来又促进了神经科学领域丰富多样的劳动力的发展。 生物医学科学

PROJECT ABSTRACT We seek NINDS R25 funding for the Blazer BRAIN (Broadening Representation And Inclusion in Neuroscience) Program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Although the number of U.S. citizens from underrepresented minority (URM) groups earning doctoral degrees in science has increased over the past decade, URMs continue to represent a small proportion of the scientists in the United States. Our UAB Blazer BRAIN Program is a summer research experience that targets the obstacles impeding success with the goal of increasing the number of trainees from diverse backgrounds in neuroscience research. We will recruit talented undergraduates from our five partner HBCU institutions in AL, and nationally with a focus on the southeast region. We aim to expose Blazer BRAIN undergraduate Scholars to research on the healthy nervous system and neurological disease at UAB in laboratories of our federally funded faculty mentors. With continued investment in Neuroscience at UAB by the School of Medicine and the Comprehensive Neuroscience Center, the future of the Blazer BRAIN program is secure, and Scholars will benefit from the vibrant neuroscience environment at UAB that currently exceeds $60M in NIH funding, with approximately $24M of that from NINDS. The Blazer BRAIN Program will include career advising by the Program directors and research faculty mentors. In addition, the Blazer BRAIN Program will partner with the NIH R25-funded UAB Roadmap Scholars (RMS) Program, which also aims to promote diversity in neuroscience research but at the graduate level, by matching Blazer BRAIN Scholars with RMS Aspirational Mentors (RAMs), to allow our Scholars to “see themselves” as scientists in biomedical research careers. Blazer BRAIN Scholars will also be invited to attend the RMS NEURAL conference, held every summer at UAB. Other value-added components of the Blazer BRAIN Program include learning from their mentors about careers and work life balance as a neuroscientist at a major biomedical research university; improvement of scientific communication skills; opportunities to present research at a regional (UAB Summer Research EXPO) and national (ABRCMS, SACNAS or SfN) meeting; and assistance in preparing applications for graduate school. Our primary goal for the initial funding period is to demonstrate minimum 60% acceptance rate of Blazer BRAIN Scholars to PhD Programs. A rigorous evaluation plan is place with metrics designed to achieve this success, with input to be received from Blazer BRAIN Scholars, mentors, and internal and external advisory committees. If successful, the UAB Blazer BRAIN Program will increase diversity in neuroscience research, and in turn promote the development of a richly diverse workforce in the biomedical sciences.