University of Maryland Summer Training and Research (UM STAR) Program

描述(由申请人提供)：马里兰大学公共卫生学院建议继续一个暑期培训和研究(STAR)计划，为未被充分代表的本科生提供2个为期10周的夏季研究和职业发展培训课程，以增强他们申请和完成与预防和治疗心血管疾病相关的生物医学/行为科学研究生学位的潜力。我们的目标是增加选择生物医学/行为研究职业的个人的多样性，以减少心血管疾病和相关疾病的发病率和死亡率。具体目标是：(1)增加关于心血管及相关疾病的病因和预防的里程碑式研究的知识，(2)提高研究技能和经验，以成为心血管及相关疾病研究领域的有竞争力的研究生院申请者，(3)提高对科学研究过程、实践和道德的认识，(4)为研究生院和研究生涯做好准备，以及(5)提供高质量的指导。该计划连续两个夏天，每个夏天都有不同的活动。申请者在当地和全国范围内通过邮件、电子邮件列表服务器、我们的互联网网站进行招聘 网站，对本科生校园的访问，以及教师网络。由项目主任和项目协调员组成的招生委员会挑选学员，并将他们与导师进行匹配。为受训人员提供住房，并为他们的工作支付报酬。学员主要专注于与他们导师的研究紧密结合的研究。研究培训占学员时间的80%，其中20%用于道德、研究相关和职业发展培训。导师是从公共卫生学院的教职员工中挑选出来的，他们拥有与NHLBI高度相关的内容领域的研究计划。专业知识的组合范围从以实验室为基础的板凳研究到基于社区和社区参与的应用型研究。除了直接的研究经验，学员每周开会讨论研究活动，设定每周目标，与各种学术专业人士会面，就研究生院问题进行动态交流，并讨论与心血管疾病相关的经典研究文章。每周一次的道德培训(第一年学员)或与研究相关的培训(第二年学员)也包括在内。这些课程具有很强的互动性，为学员提供了独特的思考和讨论视角。第二年/第一年的导师/学员计划还可以在两个暑期内加强学员留存。受训者在夏季课程结束时以口头和海报的形式介绍他们的研究。计划在华盛顿特区开展科学、社会和文化活动。广泛的计划评估评估计划达到预定基准的情况。内部和外部咨询委员会开会审查结果数据，并提出改进和保持项目质量的建议。在最初5年的资助中，我们几乎达到了所有原始基准，并根据学员、导师以及内部和外部咨询委员会的反馈做出了许多实质性更改，以改进计划。(摘要结束)

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The University of Maryland School of Public Health proposes to continue a Summer Training and Research (STAR) program to provide underrepresented undergraduate students with 2 10-wk summer sessions of research and career development training to enhance their potential to apply for and complete graduate degrees in biomedical/behavioral science relevant to preventing and treating cardiovascular (CV) disease. Our aim is to increase diversity in individuals who choose careers in biomedical/behavioral research to reduce morbidity and mortality from CV and related diseases. Specific objectives are to: (1) Increase knowledge of landmark research on the causes and prevention of CV and related diseases, (2) Enhance research skills and experience necessary to be competitive graduate school applicants in CV and related disease research areas, (3) Enhance awareness of the process, practice, and ethics of scientific research, (4) Prepare Trainees for graduate school and a research career, and (5) Provide quality mentoring. The program extends over 2 consecutive summers, with distinct activities for each summer. Applicants are recruited locally and nationally through mailings, email listservs, our Internet web site, visits to undergraduate campuses, and faculty networks. An Admissions Committee consisting of the Program Directors and Program Coordinator select Trainees and match them with Mentors. Trainees are provided with housing and remunerated for their work. Trainees primarily focus on research closely integrated with that of their Mentor. Research training comprises ~80% of the Trainees' time, with 20% spent in ethics, research-related, and career development training. Mentors are selected from School of Public Health faculty with research programs in content areas that are highly relevant to NHLBI. The mix of expertise ranges from laboratory-based bench research to applied community-based and community participatory research. In addition to direct research experience, Trainees meet weekly to discuss research activities, to set weekly goals, meet with various academic professionals for dynamic exchanges about graduate school issues, and discuss classic research articles relevant to CV disease. Weekly sessions on either Ethics- (1st Yr Trainees) or Research-Related (2nd Yr Trainees) Training is included. These sessions are highly interactive and provide Trainees with unique perspectives to consider and discuss. A 2nd Yr/1st Yr mentor/mentee program also enhances Trainee retention over two summers. Trainees present their research in oral and poster formats at the end of the summer session. Scientific, social, and cultural activities in the Washington, DC area are planned. Extensive program evaluation assesses how well the program achieves pre-determined Benchmarks. Internal and External Advisory Boards meet to review outcome data and make recommendations to improve and maintain program quality. We met virtually all of our original Benchmarks in the first 5 yrs of funding and made a number of substantive changes to improve the Program based on the feedback from the Trainees, Mentors, and Internal and External Advisory Boards. (End of Abstract)