Initiative to Enhance Diversity in the Biomedical Research Workforce at CSU Channel Islands - The purpose of this Initiative to Enhance Diversity in the Biomedical Research Workforce at CSU Channel
Islands is to initiate the evaluation of specific approaches to training, aimed at increasing the number of
students from underrepresented groups and underserved backgrounds who obtain baccalaureate degrees
in disciplines relevant to biomedical research, and pursue science and health related research careers.
While it is encouraging that the US has seen an increase in the number of advanced degrees awarded to
individuals from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in the biomedical sciences, a high attrition rate
has also been reported. Data on the specific elements that contribute to successful outcomes remain
limited, partly due to the difficulty of identifying the multidimensional factors that influence success.
Capitalizing on the results available to date from the trans-NIH Diversity Program Consortium (DPC), this
proposal seeks to answer the following questions: Is it possible to motivate students to choose a career in
biomedical research through specific curricular components within the constraints of a teaching-intensive
institution (PUI)? To what extent a focused investment in training faculty from biomedically-relevant
disciplines at PUIs can inspire and support students in the decision to pursue careers in biomedical
research?
We anticipate answering these questions through the following specific aims:
Specific Aim 1: To design, implement and evaluate a techniques-intense summer course (the "Biomedical
Research Bootcamp") that will introduce students to biomedical research, using neuroscience concepts as a
common thread. An age-matched group of non-participant students from the same disciplines will be
recruited as comparison. We will collect data from all students before the course (baseline) and at intervals
throughout their undergraduate career, and continuing 4 years beyond the end of the funding.
Specific Aim 2: To design, implement, and evaluate a tenure-track faculty training program focused on
curriculum development, grant writing, and mentoring (2 modules). We will recruit 24 faculty members from
the relevant departments (Psychology, Health Science, Biology, Chemistry and Applied Physics), and
randomly assign them to unspecific (n=8) or specific training (n=16). The comparison group will participate
in the professional development activities traditionally offered by the institution. The specific training group
will be assigned semi-randomly to each module, so by the end of the funding all 16 participants will have
received training in both modules. All 24 participants will be evaluated before the start of the training
(baseline) and throughout their progress in each module.
Our proposal has been designed in collaboration with an expert team of evaluators and statisticians, skilled
in test validation as well as in development of psychometric methods that take into consideration
multicultural settings. We are confident that at the end of this study, CSU Channel Islands will have a better
understanding of effective approaches to biomedical student engagement and mentoring, research capacity
building, and faculty development. It is expected that this knowledge will allow CSU Channel Islands to
exert a powerful contribution on the preparation of trainees from diverse backgrounds, helping them to
succeed in biomedical research careers.
