PiNBAC: The Program in Neuroscience Post-Baccalaureate Training Program

项目摘要 虽然有一个强大的培训基础设施，在神经科学的支持下， 仍有几个重要机会，可增加代表性不足的少数群体的代表性， 其他在脑科学上处于历史弱势的群体。有一群大学生， 在神经科学培训（通过课堂上的工作获得），但没有 有机会获得高质量的纵向研究经验。同样的人群也经常缺乏 获得成功申请研究生院所需的相关指导， 在神经科学研究中取得成功因为纵向研究经验可以说是为数不多的 传统的入学标准预测未来的成功在研究生院，许多申请人缺乏这种 仅凭这一点，就不能让有经验的人进入研究生院。因此，存在一种教育 差距，我们建议通过PiNBAC解决这个问题，哈佛神经科学项目后， 学士学位课程。通过神经生物学系和T32资助的哈佛大学的支持， 神经科学博士课程（PiN），PiNBAC于2021年开始，共有七个班级 这些学者中有两位今年申请了研究生院（一位将被哈佛录取，另一位将被哈佛大学录取）。 耶鲁大学），其余五个申请在秋季。PiNBAC的初始迭代包括大量的 研究经验，其中每个学者被要求作出智力贡献的一个项目（而不是 而不仅仅是担任技术支持角色），在申请研究生院和 在“隐性课程”的高等教育中科学培养、整合研究生PiN编程 加强PiNBAC培训，并提供具体的纵向课程，让每位学者有反思和学习的空间 更多的科学知识非正式反馈和早期调查结果表明， PiNBAC已经取得了成功：来自学生和导师的反馈表明，该计划解决了 可用教育资源存在明显差距，参与者认为该计划有效地 差在这里，我们建议进一步发展PiNBAC，并通过扩大正式的 为学者提供的神经科学专业课程。PiNBAC植根于创新的数据驱动 这是一种在过去一年中非常成功地试行的教学方法。我们希望通过这次会议 应用程序，我们可以帮助建立在该领域的下一代多元化的领导者。

Project Summary Although there is a robust training infrastructure in the neurosciences that is supported by NIH, there remain several important opportunities for increasing the representation of underrepresented minorities and other historically disadvantaged groups in brain science. There is a population of undergraduates with formal training in the neurosciences (obtained via classroom-based work) who nevertheless have not had the opportunity for a high-quality, longitudinal research experience. This same population frequently also lacks access to the relevant mentorship required for success in applying to graduate school and then subsequently for success in neuroscience research. Because longitudinal research experience is arguably one of the few traditional admissions criteria that predict future success in graduate school, many applicants that lack such experience are denied admission to graduate school on this basis alone. There therefore exists an educational gap, one we propose to address here through PiNBAC, the Harvard Program in Neuroscience post- baccalaureate program. Through the support of the Department of Neurobiology and the T32-funded Harvard PhD Program in Neuroscience (PiN), PiNBAC was started in 2021 with an inaugural class of seven total scholars; two of these scholars applied to graduate school this year (one will matriculate to Harvard, the other to Yale), with the remaining five to apply in the fall. The initial iteration of PiNBAC included a substantial research experience in which each scholar was asked to make an intellectual contribution to a project (rather than solely serving in a technical support role), substantial mentorship both in applying to graduate school and in the “hidden curriculum” of higher education and scientific training, integration of PiN graduate programming to enhance PiNBAC training, and a specific longitudinal course to give each scholar space to reflect and learn more about science from their peers. Informal feedback and early survey results suggest that the initial version of PiNBAC has been a success: feedback from students and mentors reveals both that the program addresses a clear gap in available educational resources, and that participants feel the program is effective at making a difference. Here we propose to further develop PiNBAC, and to build on its strengths, by expanding the formal neuroscience-specific curriculum offered to scholars. PiNBAC is rooted in an innovative data-driven pedagogical approach that has been very successfully piloted in the last year. It is our hope that through this application we can help to build the next generation of diverse leaders in the field.