Minority Bridges Program

描述(申请人提供)：本项目已实施五年。自该项目开始以来，我们已经有52名学生加入了该项目，我们建议在接下来的三年里再有30名学生加入。到目前为止，结果非常令人鼓舞。已有11名布里奇斯研究员进入范德比尔特大学的博士项目；其中一人已经毕业，几人即将毕业，目前所有人的状况都很好。范德比尔特大学或其他一流研究生院的跨学科研究生计划(IGP)、化学和物理生物学计划(CPB)或医学科学家培训计划(MSTP)将在下一年录取14名研究员。我们的十名布里奇斯学生在其他地方攻读博士学位。两名研究员在接受住院医师培训，两名在医学院。两名研究员已经选择了行业或政府的其他科学环境，11名尚未决定职业道路。有些犹豫不决的人可能会进入博士课程，我们经常与他们中的大多数人通信。对于那些注册了研究生课程的学生，我们没有记录任何自然减员的情况。布里奇斯项目对我们的学生产生了显著的影响。剑桥确保深入接触生物医学研究，并提供许多丰富的机会，如伦理讲座和讨论、GRE准备课程、沟通课程和高级研讨会，这些都有助于为从事科学研究的职业生涯做准备。在我们最初的提案和该提案的最后一次更新中，我们概述了实现我们增加少数群体参与生物医学研究的目标的具体目标。这些目标概括如下，包括对我们的努力和成就的评论，以及确保我们学生成功的新想法。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This Bridges Program has been in operation for five years. Since its inception, we have brought 52 students into the Program, and we propose that another 30 students join during the next three-year period. The results thus far are very encouraging. Eleven Bridges Fellows have entered Vanderbilt PhD programs; one has graduated, several are about to graduate, and all are currently in good standing. Fourteen Fellows are in line for entry in the upcoming year into the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program (IGP), Chemical & Physical Biology Program (CPB), or Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) at Vanderbilt University or other front-ranked graduate schools. Ten of our Bridges students are in PhD programs elsewhere. Two Fellows are in residency training, and two are in medical school. Two Fellows have chosen other science settings in industry or government, and eleven have not yet decided on a career path. Some of the undecided will probably enter PhD programs, and we correspond regularly with most of them. For those students enrolled in graduate programs we record no instances of attrition. The Bridges Program has had a marked influence on our students. Bridges insures an in-depth exposure to biomedical research and provides numerous enrichment opportunities, such as ethics lectures and discussions, GRE preparation classes, communication courses, and advanced seminars, which facilitate preparation for a career in scientific investigation. In our initial proposal and the last renewal of that proposal, we outlined Specific Aims to achieve our goal of increasing minority participation in biomedical research. These aims are recapitulated below, with comments reporting on our efforts and accomplishments, and new ideas for ensuring the success of our students.