The Summer HIV/AIDS Research Program (SHARP)

项目摘要

PROJECT SUMMARY ABSTRACT This is a renewal application for the Summer HIV/AIDS Research Program (SHARP) at the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH). SHARP is a summer-long research experience for undergraduate students who are underrepresented minorities (URMs) in science and medicine. SHARP aims to enhance the diversity of the scientific workforce by training undergraduates to be a part of a community of scientists dedicated to substance use and HIV research. Over the next five years, SHARP, grounded in Social Cognitive Career Theory, will engage URM students in an applied research program to prepare them for graduate or medical school, and ultimately, choose HIV and substance use-focused careers. The renewed SHARP will build on a highly successful program launched in 2012 that integrates research, mentoring, training, shadowing, and networking opportunities and add new program enhancements to facilitate strong mentor-mentee relationships. In addition to recruiting potential SHARP scholars from local Bay Area colleges and universities, we will add new strategies to recruit from Historic Black Colleges and Universities and minority serving institutions throughout the country through direct outreach and leverage our established and growing national network of career mentors. The 12-week summer program will select six scholars each year. SHARP scholars will conduct an HIV and substance-use focused research project, aligned with National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) scientific priorities, under the close supervision of highly engaged SHARP mentor teams comprised of senior and junior investigators who will receive enhanced training to support their scholars. Scholars will participate in weekly seminars and eLearning covering research methods, state-of-the-science HIV and substance use topics, the responsible conduct of research, rigor and reproducibility, and professional skills, including public speaking and manuscript writing. Scholars will have the opportunity to shadow research staff and engage in Photovoice – a digital storytelling method to capture the scholars experience as a URM in research. Scholars will receive faculty and peer mentorship and be linked to a cadre of career mentors from NIDA-supported URM investigators at the University of California, San Francisco, and other academic institutions across the country. The summer will culminate in a SHARP Research Symposium where scholars will present their research findings. To retain interest over time and track outcomes, we are launching a new eNewsletter, webinars, and works-in-progress sessions for alumni and establishing a social network and new learning management system to host SHARP curricular content. Moreover, alumni will be encouraged to submit abstracts for presentation at local and national conferences and prepare manuscripts for peer review. The SFDPH is a rich research environment, suitable to host a program poised to attract the next generation of equity-focused substance use and HIV researchers.