Project Summary/Abstract:
The number of Native Americans (NA) entering the Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
workforce is the smallest proportion of any ethnicity. At the same time, this group faces tremendous health
disparities, with many directly linked to aging health. Education in, and awareness of, aging-related health issues
in NA communities involves three inter-related challenges: lack of a workforce culturally attuned to NA
communities, systemic lack of capacity for on-site biomedical research, and significant mistrust of western
scientific research and researchers. The proposed programs focus on developing NA health professionals and
academic researchers who possess both cultural competence and trust from their communities, elements critical
to eliminating health disparities and minority representation in STEM fields.
In addressing these challenges, we first recognize that many Native American students approach the world and
the means to investigate it from fundamentally different philosophical perspectives. In contrast to highly
reductionist Western models, traditional NA epistemological models are more holistic and narrative-based.
Importantly, these models, in which animate and inanimate entities are connected and interdependent, should
not be seen as pedagogic deficits, but rather as an innate strength that may allow these students to construct
and expand upon sophisticated mental models of current scientific knowledge. We have developed an
educational program that integrates established best pedagogical practices with aging research learning
experience. By integrating the holistic perspective of the Navajo culture with the scientific problem-based
approach of aging, we will advance and enrich both perspectives.
The training program proposed herein is designed to create a pipeline of NA/AI students to advance from their
colleges to aging programs at top tier research universities, creating a model of culturally grounded MSTEM
education while bolstering NIH workforce and cultural diversity. We will accomplish this goal through a series of
interrelated aims. Our first specific aim is to develop and institute a recruitment plan to attract NA/AI students
interested in aging sciences. Our second specific aim is to develop a research experience and scientific training
that integrates established best pedagogical practices with aging research. Specifically, we will focus on
developing the scientific literacy of the students, providing them with professional development opportunities and
a sense of belonging within the academic community. Our third specific aim is focused on providing a support
and retention system for NA/AI students to complete their undergraduate studies and move into the workforce
or enter graduate school.