MBRS-RISE at UVI Option II: A New Vision

描述(由申请者提供)：维尔京群岛大学的MBRS-RISE计划建议通过为进入高度选择性的生物医学和行为科学博士课程而培养一批独特的本科生，为国家的健康做出贡献。这将通过一个项目来实现，该项目将研究培训与培养学生的动机和对科学职业的承诺相结合。弗吉尼亚大学MBR-Rise的新愿景建立在成功的坚实基础上：在过去的10年里，26名未被充分代表的少数族裔UVI校友获得了博士学位。自RISE计划开始以来，弗吉尼亚大学经历了巨大的变化；例如，自2001年以来，科学和数学专业的毕业生人数翻了一番。弗吉尼亚大学RISE计划的长期目标是进一步改变校园文化，并通过与加勒比遗产和社区研究需求的联系，发展学生作为生物医学研究人员的身份。这项申请提出了一个计划，让学生参与创新课程和共同课程活动，包括研究培训和与研究密集型机构的密切合作伙伴关系。弗吉尼亚大学需要一个影响深远的创新计划，为不同的学生群体提供机会，发展他们成为领先生物医学研究人员的潜力。弗吉尼亚大学有一个有助于成功的教育环境，因为有一个高度支持的政府，包括一个具有新愿景的新校长，强调学生研究，与竞争激烈的研究机构建立新的合作伙伴关系，大量且不断增长的有才华的学生，一些新的研究项目可以与RISE协同工作，以及一个小型的、支持性的合作者社区。具体的目标是：(1)100%的瑞星大学学生毕业；90%的学生在大四申请在校攻读博士学位(博士、硕士或学士后项目)；65%的学生在弗吉尼亚大学毕业后4年内攻读博士学位；45%的学生直接攻读博士学位；(2)推动积极的制度变革，影响瑞星相关院系的所有学生，从而提高所有院系攻读博士学位的学生比例。这些目标将通过一项综合计划实现，该计划包括：(1)开发新的RISE课程和教师教育学培训，(2)旨在增加学生对美属维尔京群岛和全国少数民族社区生物医学研究需求的了解的活动，(3)在校园和合作机构进行研究培训，并在会议上展示结果，(4)访问科学家，以提供榜样和网络，(5)旨在为下一步教育步骤提供明确连续性的特别研讨会，以及(6)包括UVI教师、RISE工作人员和暑期研究导师在内的支持网络。外部评估者将使用混合方法设计，提供严格的形成性和终结性评估，旨在将学生的发展与对照组进行比较。总体愿景是在整个大学范围内促进对研究的日益增长的承诺。 与公共健康相关：维尔京群岛大学的MBRS-RISE项目与公共健康相关，因为它将培养一批训练有素、有竞争力的学生，他们具有在高度选择性的博士项目和生物医学研究职业中取得成功所需的智力能力、动机和承诺。这些维尔京群岛大学的学生将开发出拯救生命的生物医学突破所需的创新想法。由于这些学生具有独特的文化、教育和社会经济背景，他们将提供不同于其他研究人员的视角；这种视角可能是理解环境对健康的影响、少数民族健康差距和许多其他生物医学问题的关键。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The MBRS-RISE Program at the University of the Virgin Islands proposes to contribute to the health of the Nation by preparing a unique population of undergraduate students for admission to highly selective doctoral programs in the biomedical and behavioral sciences. This will be accomplished by a program that combines training in research with developing students' motivation and commitment to scientific careers. The new vision for MBRS-RISE at UVI builds on a solid foundation of success: in the last 10 years 26 underrepresented minority UVI alumni have earned Ph.D. degrees. Since the RISE Program began, UVI has experienced dramatic changes; for example, since 2001 the number of Science and Mathematics graduates has doubled. The long term goals of the RISE Program at UVI are both to further transform the campus culture and to develop students' identities as biomedical researchers through connections to Caribbean heritage and the research needs of the community. This application proposes a program that engages students with innovative curriculum and co-curricular activities including research training and close partnerships with research- intensive institutions. A far-reaching, innovative program is needed at UVI to provide opportunities for the diverse student population to develop their potential to become leading biomedical researchers. UVI has an educational environment that will contribute to success, because there is a highly supportive administration including a new president with a new vision emphasizing student research, new partnerships with highly competitive research institutions, a large and growing pool of talented students, a number of new research programs that can work in synergy with RISE, and a small, supportive, collegial community. The specific aims are: (1) 100% of the RISE students graduate; 90% apply to pipeline programs in their senior year (PhD, masters, or post-baccalaureate programs); 65% enroll in doctoral programs within 4 years of UVI graduation; with 45% enrolling in PhD programs directly; (2) generate positive institutional change that impacts all students in RISE-relevant departments such that the percentage of students enrolling in doctoral programs increases in all departments. These objectives will be accomplished by an integrated program including: (1) development of a new RISE curriculum and faculty training in pedagogy, (2) activities designed to increase students' understanding of the biomedical research needs of the US Virgin Islands and minority communities nationally, (3) research training both on campus and at partner institutions and presentation of results at conferences, (4) visiting scientists to provide role models and networking, (5) special workshops designed to provide clear continuity to the next educational steps, and (6) a network of support including UVI faculty, RISE staff, and summer research mentors. The external evaluators will use a mixed methods design to provide rigorous formative and summative evaluation designed to compare students' development with a control group. The overarching vision is to catalyze an increasing commitment to research across the University. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This MBRS-RISE Program at the University of the Virgin Islands is relevant to public health because it will produce a group of highly trained, competitive students with the intellectual capacity, motivation, and commitment needed for success in highly selective doctoral programs and biomedical research careers. These University of the Virgin Islands students will develop innovative ideas needed for life-saving biomedical breakthroughs. Because these students have unique culture, educational, and socioeconomic backgrounds, they will provide a different perspective from other researchers; this perspective may be the key to understanding environmental impacts on health, minority health disparities, and many other biomedical questions.