Integrated Empirical and Translational Research to Diversify the Scientific Workforce

摘要/摘要 科学工作者多样化的速度一直非常缓慢，尽管有以下努力 过去数以千计的个人和来自政府和私人机构的大笔金融投资 40多年。特别是，生物医学和其他自然科学领域的教师多样性没有改变为任何 有意义的程度。解决这一问题的大多数研究都集中在管道的早期，即如何 提高大学STEM专业的留校率，提高STEM领域的归属感，并进入博士课程。 来自代表不足的族裔和种族群体的学生入境方面取得了不大的成功， 和女性参加生物医学博士培训。然而，这些变化并没有带来任何实际的UR改善 或教职员工层面的性别多样性。只有一次，横断面调查研究揭示了这一点 看似棘手的问题，但他们受到回忆偏见的限制，缺乏解释 随着时间的推移，个人经历的复杂性。我们的研究结合了两个研究流派，旨在充分 了解生物医学科学家的经历和职业意图：1)通过大规模、经验性的 研究始于2008年，“全国青年生命科学家纵向研究”，我们正在遵循 不同群体的生物医学博士生从博士开始的经历和决策；2) 随着2011年开始的翻译研究，我们实施了“未来科学学院” 一种新的团体指导模式的随机对照试验，以加强不均衡的指导并解决 年轻的UR科学家面临的孤立。两者都是前瞻性的定性研究，使用年度、深入、一对一的 一次采访。我们借鉴了多个社会科学理论进行中期分析，其中包括 学生们。绝大多数人已经完成了博士学位；我们第一次揭示了 培训期间的职业意向。通过持续的采访，我们准备跟随他们进入他们的职业生涯。 合并后的研究在范围和持续时间上都是前所未有的。自2020年1月1日起，我们继续 吸引289名已经开始或仍在迈向学术生涯的年轻科学家。这一点 其中116人(40%)为女性，170人(59%)为女性。对采访数据的分析提供了新的 在攻读博士期间对职业意图的复杂性的洞察。未来5年的采访将揭示 博士后培训期间职业意向的变化；影响这些意向的因素；以及，第一次 时间，关于是什么导致学术生涯取得成就和成功的前瞻性见解。世界经济的多样性 研究人群将允许对种族/民族群体和性别进行详细比较。我们的新兴模式 从数据中可以看出，几种社会科学理论的要素和整合将如何解释较低的 来自UR团体的个人将选择并坚持学术生涯的可能性。包含了 学院参与者，我们将能够研究这种新型干预的长期影响并确定 可以转化为学生支持和多样性努力的特点和方面。

Summary/Abstract The rate of diversification of the scientific workforce has been extraordinarily slow despite efforts of thousands of individuals and large financial investments from government and private agencies over the past 4+ decades. In particular, faculty diversity in biomedical and other natural sciences has not changed to any meaningful degree. Most research to address this problem has focused early in the pipeline, on ways to improve retention in college STEM majors, a sense of belonging in STEM fields, and entry into PhD programs. Modest success has been achieved in entry of students from underrepresented (UR) ethnic and racial groups, and women into biomedical PhD training. However, these changes have not led to any real improvement in UR or gender diversity at the faculty level. Single time, cross-sectional survey studies have shed some light on this seemingly intractable problem, but they are limited by recall bias and lack the capacity to explain the complexity of individuals’ experiences over time. Our research combines two research streams aiming to fully understand experiences and career intentions of biomedical scientists: 1) through a large-scale, empirical study beginning in 2008, “The National Longitudinal Study of Young Life Scientists,” we are following the experiences and decision-making of a diverse group of biomedical PhD students from the start of the PhD; 2) with translational research beginning in 2011, “The Academy for Future Science Faculty,” we implemented a randomized controlled trial of a novel group coaching model to augment uneven mentoring and address the isolation faced by young UR scientists. Both are prospective qualitative studies using annual, in-depth, one-on- one interviews. We have drawn on multiple social science theories for interim analyses with sub-groups of students. The great majority have completed the PhD; for the first time, we have revealed the great fluidity of career intentions during training. With continuing interviews, we are poised to follow them into their careers. The combined studies are unprecedented in their scope and duration. As of January 1, 2020, we continue to engage 289 young scientists who have begun, or are still on a path towards, an academic career. Of this number, 116 (40%) are UR individuals and 170 (59%) are women. Analysis of interview data has provided new insights into the complexity of career intentions during the PhD. The next 5 years of interviews will reveal how career intentions change during postdoctoral training; factors that influence those intentions; and, for the first time, prospective insights on what leads to achievement and success in academic careers. The diversity of the study population will allow detailed comparison across racial/ethnic groups and gender. Our emerging model from the data shows how elements and integration of several social science theories will explain the lower likelihood that individuals from UR groups will choose and persist in academic careers. With inclusion of the Academy participants, we will be able to study the long-term effects of this novel intervention and identify features and aspects that can be translated to student support and diversity efforts.