RISE: A graduate training program to increase diversity in biomedical science

特拉华州立大学是一所历史悠久的黑人大学，在 研究提出了一项侧重于生物医学科学研究生培训的RISE计划。我们的 跨学科研究生培训计划将在我们的MS项目中支持不同的学生群体 生物学和神经科学以及我们的神经科学博士项目。我们的生物MS项目已经 有效地支持来自代表性不足群体的学生继续攻读博士课程 而我们6年前的博士项目培养出了首批4名毕业生 2015/2016年，4人中有3人是非洲裔美国人。通过我们的Rise项目，我们将在我们的记录基础上 使不同的硕士研究生毕业，并将他们衔接到博士课程和博士学位 成就，同时解决我们的计划自我评估发现的弱点。我们MS中的学生 该项目在撰写论文和完成学位方面面临挑战，在 GRE的数量部分是MS学生继续攻读博士学位的障碍。我们会 提高我们硕士和博士生的毕业率，为他们从事研究工作做好准备 更加重视培养写作、陈述和科学推理能力。 我们的“毕业生崛起”支持计划将把密歇根州立大学生物学硕士、硕士学位的学生联系起来 分子和细胞神经科学，以及神经科学博士课程成为一个支持性的，研究丰富的 社区将提供广泛的专业和技能发展，包括：1)两个学期， 3研究职业课程的学分技能，有更多的写作和报告机会 以及撰写将由模拟研究部分审查的拨款提案；2)量化技能和 论文写作课程；以及3)正式项目入门/指导和通过以下方式加强指导 有文化能力的导师。这些活动都是精心设计的，以支持我们的学生 成功。专业发展课程助学金的撰写和广泛的指导将有助于 在论文写作课程中，培养学生作为专业科学家的身份 将提供支持，让他们冲过终点线。基于文献，这些策略将 这两个项目都为Rise的学生提供了强有力的学术支持，所有的项目组成部分都是 可持续的，可转移到其他学校和项目。评估计划包括重点小组 进行终结性评估和验证、基线和后续调查，以评估 参与者的自我效能感(研究和学术)和STEM身份认同。

Delaware State University (DSU), a Historically-Black university with an emerging strength in research proposes a RISE program focused on graduate training in biomedical science. Our interdisciplinary graduate training program will support a diverse group of students in our MS programs in biology and neuroscience and our Neuroscience PhD program. Our biology MS programs have been effective at supporting students from under-represented groups to continue on to PhD programs either at DSU or another institution, while our 6-year old PhD program produced its first 4 graduates in 2015/2016, and 3 out of the 4 are African-American. With our RISE project we will build on our record of graduating diverse MS students and bridging them into PhD programs and doctoral degree achievement, while addressing weaknesses identified by our program self-assessment. Students in our MS program face challenges in writing their thesis and completing their degree, and low scores on the quantitative component of the GRE is a barrier for MS students continuing on to PhD programs. We will improve the completion rate of our MS and PhD students and prepare them for careers in research with increased emphasis on building writing, presentation and scientific reasoning skills. Our “Graduate-RISE” support program will link students in DSU's MS in Biology, MS in Molecular & Cellular Neuroscience, and PhD in Neuroscience programs into a supportive, research-rich community that will provide extensive professional and skills development including: 1) A two-semester, 3 credit Skills for Research Careers course with increased opportunities for writing, and presentation as well as writing a grant proposal that will be reviewed by a mock study section; 2) Quantitative skills and Thesis Writing courses; and 3) the formal program induction/orientation and enhanced mentoring by culturally-competent mentors. These activities have been carefully designed to support our students' success. The professional development course grant writing and extensive mentoring will help the students to develop their identities as professional scientist, while the thesis/dissertation writing course will provide the support to get them across the finish line. Grounded in the literature, these strategies will both provide the RISE students with strong academic support, and all of the project components are sustainable and transferrable to other schools and programs. The Evaluation Plan includes focus groups for summative assessment and validated, baseline and follow-up surveys to assess the development of participants' self-efficacy (research and academic) and STEM identities.