A Perspective on Promoting Diversity in the Biomedical Research Workforce: The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s PRIDE Program

Abstract

<p>Aspiring junior investigators from groups underrepresented in the biomedical sciences face various challenges as they pursue research independence. However, the biomedical research enterprise needs their participation to effectively address critical research issues such as health disparities and health inequities. In this article, we share a research education and mentoring initiative that seeks to address this challenge: Programs to Increase Diversity among Individuals Engaged in Health Related Research (PRIDE), funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). This longitudinal research-education and mentoring program occurs through summer institute programs located at US-based academic institutions. Recruited participants are exposed to didactic and lab-based research-skill enhancement experiences, with year-round mentoring over the course of two years. Mentor-mentee matching is based on shared research interests to promote congruence and to enhance skill acquisition. Program descriptions and sample narratives of participants’ perceptions of PRIDE’s impact on their career progress are showcased. Additionally, we highlight the overall program design and structure of four of seven funded summer institutes that focus on cardiovascular disease, related conditions, and health disparities. Mentees’ testimonials about the value of the PRIDE mentoring approach in facilitating career development are also noted. Meeting the clinical and research needs of an increasingly diverse US population is an issue of national concern. The PRIDE initiative, which focuses on increasing research preparedness and professional development of groups underrepresented in the biomedical research workforce, with an emphasis on mentoring as the critical approach, provides a robust model that is impacting the careers of future investigators. <em>Ethn Dis. </em>2016;26(3):379- 386; doi:10.18865/ed.26.3.379 </p>

Theory-Informed Research Training and Mentoring of Underrepresented Early-Career Faculty at Teaching-Intensive Institutions: The Obesity Health Disparities PRIDE Program

“…Each program is offered by a different academic medical center and each addresses a particular area of emphasis related to heart, lung, blood, or sleep research. 7 The programs are additionally supported by a Coordination Core that manages the competitive application process, collects cross-site baseline and longitudinal follow-up data, and organizes an annual research conference 10 Underrepresented minority scientists conduct a significant share of the health disparities research in the United States, and contribute substantially to translating research findings to low-income communities and communities of color. 10 Changing US demographic patterns, along with the increasing economic burden of health disparities, have contributed to an enhanced national interest in increasing the…”

“…4,5 The mentoring relationship between a more senior professor and an early-career faculty member is one in which a research veteran provides advice and support to his/her less-experienced colleague; however, mentorship can benefit and enhance the productivity of both mentee and mentor. 6 Further, Boyington and collaborators 7 assert that having a designated mentor can yield benefits for early-career faculty (ie, early research success, participation in formal career development programs) and their institutions (ie, retention of racial and ethnic minority faculty ). Unfortunately, this intentional form of knowledge transfer is often less available to groups underrepresented in biomedical research as they are less likely to have mentors and receive less mentoring than their majority-group peers, even when exposed to mentoring programs.…”

Person-Environment Congruence: A Call for Increased Precision in Matching Research Mentors and Mentees

“…Each of the seven training programs, funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), specialize in individual areas of research priorities of the NHLBI mission, utilize similar eligibility criteria for potential mentees, and are supported by a Coordination Core. 9,10 The Obesity Health Disparities program (OHD PRIDE) is the only PRIDE site that seeks to identify, recruit and engage with mentees who are graduates of, or early career faculty at HBCUs. Mentors identified for this program have successful scholarly track records, experience in working in HBCUs and other teaching-intensive environments, and knowledge and practice in guiding underrepresented minority faculty in the development of productive research careers.…”

Enhancing Diversity in Biomedical Data Science

“…16 Faculty members at MSIs must update their training in the era of Big Data in order to properly train their students. However, most faculty at MSIs have very heavy teaching loads and lack access to funding 20 to develop these new skills and/or research programs to benefit their students. If underrepresented students are to be successful in BDS, they must have access to faculty prepared to teach and guide them in addition to research experiences.…”