Native American Short-Term Research Education Program in Children's Health

描述（由申请人提供）：此提案描述了一个创新的短期研究教育项目。该项目是根据社区参与的原则开发的，当地的长者、教师和学生都参与了设计。该计划支持土著学生的文化价值观，并解决印第安人焦点小组表达的优先事项。我们的方法包括一个为期10周的暑期项目，将提供给来自犹他州和山间西部的美国原住民学生。学生将有机会参加犹他大学连续两个夏天（夏季I和夏季II），使他们能够与教师建立持续的指导关系。该项目将强大的基于疾病的基础或临床研究经验与致力于研究设计和方法、伦理和技能培养的教育课程相结合，并为参与者提供机会选择补充经验，包括参与与健康相关的社区外展和跟随学术和社区医生。当学生完成短期研究教育项目时，他们将获得研究经验，建立一个支持网络，并对生物医学科学的职业机会有更清晰的认识。这些学生将为完成本科和研究生学位做好更好的准备，将能够为科学劳动力做出贡献，并将对国家研究事业产生持久的影响。该提案解决了美洲原住民参与生物医学研究的重大差距。这个短期研究教育项目的总体目标是通过以下具体目标，通过支持美国原住民本科生的科学发展，增加美国生物医学科学劳动力的多样性：目标1：扩大和加强现有的针对美洲原住民学生的短期研究教育计划，为他们提供更广泛的机会参与基础和临床心血管、肺部和血液疾病研究，并接受教育支持服务。目标2：指导和培养一批从事基础和临床研究的印第安学生骨干，他们将完成本科学位，申请并完成博士学位，为美国的科学工作做出贡献。目标3：评估短期研究教育计划在增加美洲原住民在区域和全国健康相关研究中的代表性方面的有效性。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal describes an innovative Short-Term Research Education Program. The Program was developed using the principles of community engagement and Native elders, faculty, and students were involved in the design. The Program supports the cultural values of Native students and addresses the priorities expressed by Native American focus groups. Our approach encompasses a 10-week summer program that will be available to Native American students from Utah and the Intermountain West. Students will have the opportunity to participate for two consecutive Summers (Summer I and II) at the University of Utah, allowing them to develop sustained mentored relationships with faculty. The Program combines a strong disease-based basic or clinical research experience with educational sessions devoted to research design and methodology, ethics, and skill building, and opportunities for participants to elect complementary experiences including participating in health-related community outreach and shadowing academic and community physicians. When students complete the Short-Term Research Education Program they will have gained research experience, have built a network of support, and developed a clearer understanding of the career opportunities in biomedical science. These students will be better prepared to complete undergraduate and graduate degrees, will be able to contribute to the scientific workforce, and will make a lasting impact on the national research enterprise. This proposal addresses the significant gap in Native American participation in biomedical research. The overarching goal of this Short-Term Research Education Program is to increase diversity of the US biomedical science workforce by supporting the scientific development of undergraduate Native American students through the following Specific Aims: Aim 1: Expand and enhance an existing Short-Term Research Education Program for Native American students to provide them with broader opportunities to participate in basic and clinical cardiovascular, pulmonary, and hematologic disease research and to receive educational support services. Aim 2: Mentor and train a cadre of Native American students in basic and clinical research who will complete undergraduate degrees, apply for and complete doctoral degrees, and contribute to the scientific work force of the United States. Aim 3: Evaluate the effectiveness of the Short-Term Research Education Program on increasing Native American representation in health-related research regionally and nationally.