UMass Amherst PREP Program

描述(由申请者提供)：该项目的长期目标是显著增加来自代表性不足群体的学生获得生物医学领域博士学位的数量。为此，我们将设立为期一年的预科实习，其中包括独立研究和个性化学习项目，每个项目都有跨学科的重点，旨在提高预科学生进入严格的生物医学研究生项目的竞争力。我们的项目将利用马萨诸塞大学阿默斯特分校(UMA)的独特优势：a)UMA领导东北研究生教育与教授联盟(NEAGEP)，这是一个由15所少数族裔服务和研究型大学组成的高度互动的网络，在STEM博士项目中成功地招收和留住了少数族裔学生；B)UMA拥有完善的跨学科研究和生物医学研究生教育计划；C)UMA制定了有效的多层次指导计划，以支持各级学术机构的多样性。我们利用这些优势来实现以下具体目标：1)利用NEAGEP和UMA的现有关系，从代表性不足的群体中招收有才华的学生；2)通过完善的为期八周的本科生研究暑期项目(SPUR)对学生进行预筛选；3)为近同行和教职员工导师提供多样性培训；4)与预科参与者及其导师合作，根据SPUR期间确定的学生的兴趣、优势和需求制定个性化的学习计划；5)从第一次接触就开始指导，并持续到研究生院及以后。在该计划期间，学生将参与一个合作研究项目，与中小学教师导师，以及近同行的研究生导师。该研究所的细胞工程，化学-生物接口和神经内分泌学研究生培训计划将通过具体的丰富课程提供跨学科的重点。学生将参加定期的社会和职业发展活动，其中许多是NEAGEP的博士生，这样预备参与者将成为更大的少数族裔学者社区的一部分。小组预备课程将侧重于在生物医学的跨学科和不同的小组中工作，发展批判性思维技能，并了解负责任的研究行为。教师导师、个人投资顾问和研究生招聘和留用办公室将教学生如何申请研究生院和获得博士前奖学金。在该项目结束时，我们预计学生将报名参加由参与的跨学科培训项目提供的众多生物医学研究生项目中的一个，其他NEAGEP机构的研究生项目或全国各地的其他选择性研究生项目。这一计划将有助于满足对生物医学研究人员日益增长的需求，这些研究人员能够解决我们人口各个阶层的医疗保健问题。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The long-term goal of this project is to significantly increase the number of students from underrepresented groups who obtain Ph.D. degrees in biomedical fields. To this end, we will establish a one-year PREP internship that includes independent research and individualized programs of study, each with an interdisciplinary focus designed to increase the competitiveness of the PREP students for admission to rigorous biomedical graduate programs. Our project will capitalize on unique strengths of the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMA): A) UMA leads the Northeast Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (NEAGEP), a highly interactive network of 15 minority-serving and research-extensive universities with demonstrated success in recruiting and retaining minority students in STEM Ph.D. programs; B) UMA has well-developed programs of interdisciplinary research and graduate education in biomedicine; C) UMA has developed effective multi-level mentoring programs to support diversity at all levels of academia. We take advantage of these strengths to accomplish the following specific aims: 1) Use existing connections in NEAGEP and at UMA to recruit talented students from underrepresented groups; 2) Pre-screen students through a well established eight-week summer program for undergraduate research (SPUR); 3) Provide near- peer and faculty mentors with diversity training; 4) Work with PREP participants and their mentors to formulate individualized programs of study based on interests, strengths and needs of students identified during SPUR; 5) Start mentoring on first contact and continue through graduate school and beyond. During the program, students will engage in a collaborative research project with a primary and secondary faculty mentors, as well as near-peer graduate student mentors. The Institute for Cellular Engineering, Chemistry-Biology Interface and Neuroendocrinology graduate training programs will provide an interdisciplinary focus through specific enrichment courses. Students will participate in regular social and professional development activities, many with NEAGEP doctoral students so that PREP participants will be part of a larger community of minority scholars. Group PREP courses will focus on working in interdisciplinary and diverse groups in biomedicine, developing critical thinking skills and gaining an understanding of the responsible conduct of research. Faculty mentors, PIs and the Office of Graduate Recruitment and Retention will teach students how to apply to graduate school and to obtain pre-doctoral fellowships. At the end of the program, we anticipate that students will enroll in one of the numerous biomedicine graduate programs served by the participating interdisciplinary training programs, graduate programs in other NEAGEP institutions or in other selective graduate programs around the country. This program will help meet the growing need for biomedical researchers who can address issues of health care in all segments of our population.