Training for Change: The SACNAS Plan for Broadening Participation in Research

描述(由申请者提供)：该提案将支持一次包容性的多学科国家会议，包括杰出的主旨演讲者、学生演讲者、科学/专业研讨会以及代表不足的少数群体(URM)榜样和导师，总计近4,000人(2013-2018年)。SACNAS将增加来自URM社区的具有竞争性准备的生物医学和行为科学家的数量。战略将包括在中学后渠道/途径的所有阶段吸引和支持个人参加旨在推动参与者进入下一个学术或职业阶段的辅助培训计划。在过去的六年中，SACNAS会议的出席人数以每年12%的速度增长，因此需要更大的场地和额外的资源。更重要的是，参与人数的增加突显了SACNAS全国会议为这些日益增长的人口提供的关键服务。SACNAS是一个广泛包容的组织，专注于西班牙裔和美洲原住民的进步，但对所有人开放。此外，SACNAS拥有近40年提供辅助培训服务的历史，并拥有完善的基础设施，包括专家工作人员、志愿者和会议管理能力，以执行这项建议。最近的努力包括通过迅速增加的SACNAS学生分会和SACNAS夏季领导力学院为参与者提供全年支持；这些努力为参与者提供了强大的、往往改变生活的体验，支持科学保留和完成。此外，与AAAS合作，SACNAS将每年向30名博士后、职业生涯早期和职业生涯中期的参与者提供领导力发展计划。在每次会议上，额外的40名博士后将接受必要的培训和指导，以具有学术和非学术职位的竞争力。一个由30名美国原住民本科生组成的精选小组将参加会议前和会议后的活动，这些活动将为他们在会议上的参与做准备和重点。保持队列将在传统和支持性的环境中促进小组学习。此外，每年将为400名URM本科生旅行奖获得者提供机会，在全国会议上向支持性导师展示他们的研究成果。在线互动工具和抽象审查程序也将确保高质量的筹备工作。最后，研究生课程将专门设计为每年帮助100名研究生实现研究独立，完成论文，并获得适当的博士后职位。有效的评估对SACNAS的辅助培训越来越重要；因此，有了这项提议，SACNAS将把衡量成功的重点从基于活动的评估转移到基于结果的评估。过去几十年来不断改进的会议活动的继续，将保持这次高效会议的势头，并确保具有竞争力的URM科学家的数量增加。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal will support an inclusive multidisciplinary national conference featuring distinguished keynote speakers, student presenters, scientific/professional symposia, and underrepresented minority (URM) role models and mentors totaling close to 4,000 participants per year (2013-2018). SACNAS will increase the number of competitively prepared biomedical and behavioral scientists from URM communities. Strategies will include engaging and supporting individuals at all stages of the postsecondary pipeline/pathway in ancillary training programs designed to advance participants to their next academic or career stage. Over the last six years, the SACNAS conference attendance has grown 12% per year resulting in a need for larger venues and additional resources. More importantly, the growth in participation underlines the crucial services that the SACNAS National Conference provides to these increasing populations. SACNAS is a broadly inclusive organization with a focus on Hispanic and Native American advancement, but is open to all. Furthermore, SACNAS has a nearly 40-year history delivering ancillary training services and has a well-developed infrastructure including expert staff, volunteers, and conference management capabilities to execute this proposal. Recent efforts include year-round support to participants through the rapidly increasing SACNAS student chapters and the SACNAS Summer Leadership Institute; these efforts produce powerful and often life-changing experiences for the participants that support science retention and completion. Moreover, in partnership with AAAS, SACNAS will deliver the leadership development program per year to 30 participants at postdoctoral, early career and midcareer levels. At each conference, an additional 40 postdocs will receive the necessary training and coaching to be competitive for academic and nonacademic positions. And a select group of 30 Native American undergraduates will participate in pre- and post-conference activities that will prepare and focus their participation at the conference. Maintaining cohorts will foster group learning in a traditioal and supportive environment. Furthermore, per year 400 URM undergraduate travel awardees will be provided the opportunity to present their research to supportive mentors at the National Conference. On-line interactive tools and abstract review processes will also ensure high quality preparation. Lastly, graduate student programs will be designed specifically to assist 100 graduate students per year in achieving research independence, completing a dissertation, and securing an appropriate postdoc position. Effective evaluation has become increasingly central to SACNAS' ancillary training; therefore, with this proposal, SACNAS will shift the focus of its measured success from activity-based to outcome-based evaluation. Continuation of the ever improving conference activities built over the past decades will sustain the momentum of this highly effective conference and ensure the number of competitive URM scientists increases.