Recruitment of Undergraduates to Mental Health Research

描述（申请人提供）：为了满足招募新的研究人员进入心理健康研究领域的需要，本申请要求为R-25计划提供竞争性的继续支持，“招募心理健康研究本科生”-精神病学系与神经科学，生物科学，匹兹堡大学和卡内基梅隆大学的心理学和化学。该计划为有前途的本科科学专业学生提供为期一年的密集研究经验，并对心理健康相关研究感兴趣。最终目的是为本科生提供早期动手研究的机会，以增加全国有才华的学生，他们继续寻求学士后培训，为心理健康研究职业做准备。这个独特的本科研究教育计划包括：1）12个月的研究经验，对与心理健康或精神障碍直接相关的科学问题进行监督研究; 2）以临床神经科学和精神病学课程为特色的教学教育计划;和3）在西部精神病研究所和诊所（WPIC）进行为期十周的暑期课程，提供精神病学临床护理，临床研究讲座，并参观临床实验室和设施。该计划代表了NIMH不断努力促进临床和基础科学研究人员之间积极合作的一个及时的例子，在这种情况下，在本科科学学生的教育。它利用了相关机构的非凡优势，以及他们在教育和研究项目的跨学科合作方面的过去和持续成功。对前八组毕业生的跟踪数据表明，进入MD、MD/Ph.D.的比例非常高。或博士健康科学专业（68%）或正在完成准备申请这些专业的研究（另外18%）。迄今为止，我们的研究结果提供了识别和招募有才华的本科生进入心理健康研究教育计划的可行性和有效性的证据，以及绝大多数（86%）在追求健康科学的继续教育和培训方面取得持续进展的证据。基于该计划迄今为止的成功，我们建议在未来五年继续该计划：增加培训的学生人数（从目前的92人增加到：[72]），扩大到每年包括两名全日制医学生，评估短期和长期职业教育和培训学员的途径，并评估该计划对招募心理健康研究和心理健康相关科学领域的长期影响。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In response to the need to recruit new investigators into the field of mental health research, this application requests competing continuation support for the R-25 program, "Recruitment of Undergraduates for Mental Health Research" -a collaborative effort between the Department of Psychiatry and the Departments of Neuroscience, Biological Sciences, Psychology and Chemistry of the University of Pittsburgh and the Carnegie Mellon University. The program features a full year of intensive research experience for promising undergraduate science majors with an interest in mental health relevant research. The ultimate aim is to provide early exposure to hands-on research to undergraduates to increase the national pool of talented students who go on to seek post-baccalaureate training in preparation for careers in mental health research. This unique undergraduate research education program consists of: 1) a 12-month research experience, conducting supervised research on a scientific question with direct relevance to mental health or mental disorders; 2) a didactic educational program featuring courses in clinical neuroscience and psychiatry; and 3) a ten week summer program at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic (WPIC) that provides exposure to clinical care in psychiatry, lectures in clinical research, and visits to a clinical labs and facilities. The program represents a timely example of the NIMH's continuing effort to promote active collaboration between clinical and basic science researchers, in this case in the education of undergraduate science students. It capitalizes on the extraordinary strengths of the institutions involved and their past and continuing success in inter-disciplinary collaboration on educational and research programs. Follow-up data for the first eight groups of graduates indicate that a remarkably high percentage have entered MD, MD/Ph.D. or Ph.D. programs in the health sciences (68%) or are completing research preparatory to application to these programs (an additional 18%). Our findings to date provide evidence of feasibility and effectiveness in identifying and recruiting talented undergraduate students into a mental health research education program, as well as evidence of the continuing progress of a large majority (86%) in pursuing further education and training in the health sciences. Based on the success of this program to date, we propose to continue this program over the next five years to: increase the number of students trained (from the current 92 to :[72), expand to include two full-time medical students per year in the program, evaluate both short- and long-term career education and training pathways of trainees, and evaluate the longer-range impact of the program on recruitment into the field of mental health research and mental health-related sciences.