Project Summary: Diversity at the molecular level has created the riot of life forms ever to exist on earth.
Diversity of thought, perspective, and background among individuals working as part of a team enhances
performance. The pursuit of scientific knowledge and excellence then demands the inclusion of students from
all backgrounds. This application requests funds to support an Initiative for Maximizing Student Development
(IMSD) program within the Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences (DBBS) at Washington University in
St. Louis at the level of ten trainees, equal to our current level of support. The mission of our IMSD program is
to increase the matriculation, training, retention, graduation, and career outcomes of outstanding PhD students
from groups historically underrepresented in the sciences in order to help change the face of the next generation
of scientists and thus increase the power of the STEM workforce in the US.
Since its inception in 2013, our IMSD program has created 15 training elements that integrate seamlessly with
PhD student training and research, bolstering the academic, professional, and career success of essentially all
entering underrepresented (UR) PhD students and often all DBBS PhD students. Concentrated in years one to
three, these training activities span our students’ graduate careers and focus on ensuring they surpass defined
academic milestones, learn to think critically and to write and speak effectively about research, develop strong
student support networks, explore career options, and can engage in community-based educational outreach
activities. Since their creation, these activities and our IMSD Program have helped reduce and of late appear to
have eliminated the previously persistent achievement gap between URM and well-represented students in
terms of qualifying exam success and PhD student retention/completion.
Our new IMSD Program will welcome all entering UR DBBS PhD students into it, ensuring that it remains the
epicenter of academic, scientific, and career support for UR students in DBBS. We propose to support students
for their first two years of graduate school and will preferentially select students who have overcome significant
hardship for support. Over its nine-year history, our current IMSD program has increased UR student success
and serves as the foundation for our new IMSD program. By focusing on excellence and innovation in graduate
education and community-building, our new program will accelerate the tradition of scientific excellence in the
US by increasing the presence and success of diverse scientists in our PhD programs and ultimately in the
STEM workforce.