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Rochester Institute of Technology U-RISE Scientists-in-Training Program for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Undergraduates (RIT U-RISE)

Award Number: T34GM145542
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF GENERAL MEDICAL SCIENCES
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: TRAINING/TRAINEESHIP
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 04/06/2022
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 03/31/2025

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Rochester Institute of Technology U-RISE Scientists-in-Training Program for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Undergraduates (RIT U-RISE) - Deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) scientists are severely underrepresented in the nation’s biomedical research workforce. In 2018 only 0.38% of all PIs on NIH awards reported a hearing disability, yet hearing-loss prevalence for US adults ages 20-69 is 31.1%. DHH undergraduates face many barriers to pursuing advanced research degrees, including poor mentoring, lack of DHH scientist role models, poor self-efficacy skills, poor science identity, and community disincentives. Further, DHH people vary widely in communication modalities, language skills, and cultural identities with respect to hearing culture. As a result, DHH STEM students often encounter cultural stigmas and communication barriers that limit their access to mentored undergraduate research opportunities in biomedical laboratories. The primary mission of the proposed RIT U-RISE Scientists-in-Training Program for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Undergraduates (RIT U-RISE) is to diversify the biomedical research workforce by preparing 8 DHH undergraduates annually to enter biomedically related PhD programs at research-intensive universities. A secondary mission is to disseminate evidence-based best practices to scientists at other institutions to make biomedical research communities-of-practice more accessible and inclusive for DHH students. There are more than 1100 DHH students at RIT (6% of the student body). RIT institutional data shows that DHH baccalaureate students disproportionately gravitate to non-research biomedically related graduate programs despite persistence rates, graduation rates, and academic achievement on par with hearing students. To counter this trend, RIT U-RISE trainees will participate in evidence-based co- curricular enrichment and cohort building activities, specialized research ethics, safety, reproducibility, and science writing training, and intensive mentored research training in culturally supportive labs at RIT and research-intensive universities. Trainees will also present at national conferences. An individual development plan (IDP) based on targeted core scientific and professional competencies will guide each trainee’s program. Enhanced advising, monitoring, tutoring, and communication access services will ensure trainees have the psychosocial, academic, and institutional support to succeed in entering PhD programs. RIT U-RISE will provide cultural competency training for mentors and other faculty that fosters institutional change. Best practices for mentoring DHH PhD-bound undergraduates will be disseminated nationally. Fifteen RIT U-RISE trainees are expected to graduate by the end of the grant cycle and at least 8 to enter biomedically related PhD research programs within three years of graduation. RIT has the extensive DHH community and institutional resources, partnerships with post-graduate training programs at research-intensive universities, and rich administrative experience and infrastructure from the RIT-RISE program (2017-2022) to ensure the success of the RIT U-RISE program.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = -$133,169 )
2025	2024	ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY	1 LOMB MEMORIAL DR	ROCHESTER	NY	14623	MONROE	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	000	3	4/4/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
2025	2024	ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY	1 LOMB MEMORIAL DR	ROCHESTER	NY	14623	MONROE	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	001	3	6/3/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$133,169
														Subtotal = -$133,169

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $241,531 )
2024	2024	ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY	1 LOMB MEMORIAL DR	ROCHESTER	NY	14623	MONROE	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	001	3	4/4/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$241,531
2024	2024	ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY	1 LOMB MEMORIAL DR	ROCHESTER	NY	14623	MONROE	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	002	3	8/5/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
2024	2023	ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY	1 LOMB MEMORIAL DR	ROCHESTER	NY	14623	MONROE	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	000	2	2/15/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $241,531

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $241,531 )
2023	2023	ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY	1 LOMB MEMORIAL DR	ROCHESTER	NY	14623	MONROE	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	001	2	3/31/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
2023	2023	ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY	1 LOMB MEMORIAL DR	ROCHESTER	NY	14623	MONROE	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	000	2	3/6/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$241,531
														Subtotal = $241,531

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $238,810 )
2022	2022	ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (INC)	1 LOMB MEMORIAL DR	ROCHESTER	NY	14623	MONROE	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	001	1	6/9/2022	NEW	$1,789
2022	2022	ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (INC)	1 LOMB MEMORIAL DR	ROCHESTER	NY	14623	MONROE	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	002	1	8/10/2022	NEW	$0
2022	2022	ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (INC)	1 LOMB MEMORIAL DR	ROCHESTER	NY	14623	MONROE	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	000	1	4/6/2022	NEW	$237,021
														Subtotal = $238,810

Grand Total All Awards = $588,703

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Rochester Institute of Technology U-RISE Scientists-in-Training Program for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Undergraduates (RIT U-RISE)

Award Number: T34GM145542

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF GENERAL MEDICAL SCIENCES

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: TRAINING/TRAINEESHIP

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 04/06/2022

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 03/31/2025

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