Assessment of the Impact of the Kansas IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence Program on Undergraduate Participation in Research

Abstract

The Kansas IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (K-INBRE) was established in 2001 and is a network of 10 higher-education institutions in Kansas and northern Oklahoma. The program is funded by the Institutional Development Award (IDeA) program of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). As part of the program’s goal to enhance the research infrastructure in Kansas, a training program was developed to encourage undergraduates to participate in biomedical research. From September 2002 to May 2012, the K-INBRE supported 731 students at 10 institutions. Although 16% of student participants in the program are still undergraduates, 323 of our students have gone into biomedical graduate school or medical school programs. Thirty-seven percent of all the completed students have matriculated into graduate programs and 19% of our completed students went to medical school. Moreover, 12% have gone into other health-related professions. One percent of our students who went into medical school programs are in highly prestigious MD/PhD programs. In the fall of 2011, we surveyed participants from the last 10 years about career choices and the impact of the K-INBRE program on those students. Two hundred twenty-four former and current students responded to the survey with a consensus of high impact of the K-INBRE program on student training, career choices, and perceptions about research.

The K-INBRE symposium: a 10-institution collaboration to improve undergraduate education

“…Almost 80% of our respondents indicated that their participation in the K-INBRE symposium helped them in their appreciation of the value of research. This is consistent with other program surveys that assessed the impact of undergraduate research experiences (3, 5-7) and with our laboratory's previous assessments of the K-INBRE program (1).…”

“…The Kansas INBRE, or K-INBRE, is a product of that 2001 initiative. The University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC), a comprehensive medical and biomedical PhD-granting graduate school, serves as the administrative center of the program (1). The network also includes two comprehensive universities, the University of Kansas-Lawrence and Kansas State University, with under-graduate and graduate PhD-level degrees in biomedical sciences.…”

“…In addition, there are two participating institutions that provide undergraduate degrees to students from predominantly underrepresented populations: Haskell Indian Nations University and Langston University. Due to the diverse missions of the 10 K-INBRE campuses, each institution tailors how their students are recruited and participate in research activities (1). To unify the member institutions, a conference-like activity is held annually to bring students and faculty from all participating campuses together.…”

Impact and Outcomes of the Oklahoma IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence Summer Undergraduate Research Program

“…Similar to OK-INBRE participants who completed undergraduate degrees in Oklahoma, where 80% of them are pursing or have completed a graduate degree (MS or PhD) in the sciences, 20% are pursing or have completed a MD/DO degree, and another 19% are enrolled in or have completed a health sciences–related degree, 21%, 34%, and 22% of research program graduates in North Dakota are pursing or have completed a PhD degree, are pursing or have completed a MD/DO degree, and are enrolled in or have completed a health sciences-related degree, respectively (25). In Kansas, 37% of research program graduates are pursing or have completed a PhD degree, 19% are pursing or have completed a MD/DO degree, and 12% are enrolled or have completed a health sciences–related degree (26). It is worth noting that North Dakota and Kansas programs were only able to report descriptive statistics on degree enrollment and completion outcomes, while the Oklahoma program was able to apply statistical analyses to determine whether these differences across categories were significant (25, 26).…”

“…In Kansas, 37% of research program graduates are pursing or have completed a PhD degree, 19% are pursing or have completed a MD/DO degree, and 12% are enrolled or have completed a health sciences–related degree (26). It is worth noting that North Dakota and Kansas programs were only able to report descriptive statistics on degree enrollment and completion outcomes, while the Oklahoma program was able to apply statistical analyses to determine whether these differences across categories were significant (25, 26). The OK-INBRE findings are also consistent with prior publications indicating that experiences in a research program can improve participation and persistence, often by strengthening students’ views of themselves as scientists (23).…”