San Diego Leading the Advancement of Underrepresented Neuroscientists for Change (LAUNCH) Program

NINDS建议的加州大学圣地亚哥分校领导代表不足的神经科学家促进变革(Launch)计划的总体目标是，在关键的职业发展技能和研究方面有效地指导和培训神经科学中代表不足的个人，以促进具有竞争力的神经科学研究计划的发展，并成功地在访问学者计划中获得独立的校外研究资金。Launch将利用资产模型和基于证据的战略来加强有效的指导、职业技能发展和研究培训。启动由五名个人投资促进机构指导，他们有指导和培训初级教员和博士后研究员的历史，并成功地创建和实施了专门针对未被充分代表的少数民族(URM)学员和妇女的职业发展和指导方案。所有的PI都成功地领导了外部资助的培训计划；五个PI中有四个积极参与NIH赞助的生物医学研究，三个PI是女性，两个PI来自URM背景。NINDS建议的加州大学圣地亚哥分校领导代表不足的神经科学家促进变革(Launch)计划的总体目标是在关键的职业发展和研究技能方面有效地指导和培训代表不足的早期职业神经科学家，以促进研究计划的发展和成功，并获得独立的校外研究资金。加州大学圣迭戈分校启动计划的具体目标是增加神经科学背景中代表性不足的科学家在获得有效的指导、关键的职业发展技能、研究培训和赠款资金方面的代表性。提出了三个具体目标。目标1是招聘人数不足的初级教员和过渡博士后研究员，他们在阿尔茨海默氏症和相关痴呆、细胞、发育和分子神经科学以及计算和系统神经科学领域拥有与我们研究导师一致的神经科学专业知识，这些都是加州大学圣地亚哥分校的独特优势。目标2是使用资产模型和基于证据的战略，通过学院研究和职业发展计划，确定短期和长期职业和研究目标，与三人指导小组进行有效的指导，并扩展特定职业发展领域的知识和技能，从而加强对参与者的职业技能发展和有效指导。目标3是通过与加州大学圣迭戈分校教员研究导师的直接培训和沉浸在活动中来促进参与者的研究培训和研究自我效能，以扩展研究知识、技能和策略，这些活动将增强研究进展、合作和网络、拨款撰写技能，以及将加快成功的研究计划开发和提交NIH或同等拨款的出版战略。Launch包括在项目和职业发展以及神经科学研究方面拥有丰富经验的PI，加州大学圣地亚哥分校神经科学研究人员和来自代表性较低背景的职业导师的强大队列。

The overall goal of the NINDS-proposed UC San Diego Leading the Advancement of Underrepresented Neuroscientists for Change (LAUNCH) program is to effectively mentor and train individuals underrepresented in neurosciences in critical career development skills and research to enhance the development of competitive neuroscience research programs and success in obtaining independent extramural research funding in a visiting scholars program. LAUNCH will utilize asset models and evidence-based strategies to enhance effective mentoring, career skill development, and research training. LAUNCH is directed by five PIs with a history of mentoring and training junior faculty and postdoctoral fellows and success in creating and implementing career development and mentoring programs specifically for underrepresented minority (URM) trainees and women. All PIs have successfully led extramurally funded training programs; four of the five PIs are actively engaged in NIH-sponsored biomedical research, 3 PIs are women, and two PIs are from URM backgrounds. The overall goal of the NINDS-proposed UC San Diego Leading the Advancement of Underrepresented Neuroscientists for Change (LAUNCH) program is to effectively mentor and train underrepresented early career neuroscientists in critical career development and research skills to enhance the development of research programs and success and in obtaining independent extramural research funding. The specific objectives of the UCSD LAUNCH program are to increase the representation of scientists from backgrounds underrepresented in neurosciences in obtaining effective mentorship, critical career development skills, research training and grant funding. Three specific aims are proposed. Aim 1 is to recruit underrepresented junior faculty and transitioning postdoctoral fellows who have neuroscience scientific expertise aligned with those of our research mentors in the areas of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, cellular, developmental and molecular neurosciences and computational and systems neurosciences, particular strengths of UC San Diego. Aim 2 is to use asset models and evidence-based strategies to enhance career skill development and effective mentorship of participants using a Faculty Research and Career Advancement Plan to identify short- and long-term career and research goals, engage in effective mentorship with a 3-membered mentoring team, and extend knowledge and skills in specific career development areas. Aim 3 is to promote research training and research self-efficacy of participants by extending research knowledge, skills and strategies through direct training with a UCSD faculty research mentor and immersion in activities that will enhance research progress, collaborations and networking, grant writing skills, and as well as publication strategies that will accelerate successful research program development and submission of an NIH or equivalent grant. LAUNCH includes PIs with extensive experience in program and career development and neuroscience research, a strong cohort of UC San Diego faculty neuroscience researchers and career mentors from underrepresented backgrounds.