Broadening and Strengthening Underrepresented Group Inclusion in Immunological Research

Abstract

Promoting diversity across biomedical fields is crucial for building comprehensive and innovative research programs, as well as providing trainees from underrepresented groups (URGs) the ability to establish agency and develop skills in a culturally and structurally supportive environment. Despite this awareness, there is still a lack of students from URGs being trained for independent research careers. The Immunology, Microbiology, and Virology (IMV) graduate program at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry (URSMD) has been working for the last 13 years to increase diversity through an NIH funded Post-baccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP). Historically, our program has trained URG scholars in Immunology, but as we have progressed we have embraced the understanding that both the scholars and the institution benefit from expanding the interdisciplinary nature of our program. Over the last 3 years, we have integrated a broader and highly collaborative faculty mentor pool, including representation from Immunology, Microbiology, Virology, Neuroscience, Genetics, Biochemistry, Biophysics, Toxicology, and Biomedical Engineering. This expansion, coupled with changes in our education program, including skill building workshops and cross campus integration with our student diversity groups and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, has strengthened the competitiveness and success of our cohorts. These improvements are enhancing the diversity of our graduate school, creating a research environment that retains students from URGs in biomedical research. We attribute our success to the interdisciplinary and team-building nature of our pipeline program, as well as the URSMD's initiatives to be a more inclusive and equitable institution.

Key Factors in Designing the Health System–Community Pathways Program for African American/Black Children and Young Adults

“…Senior mentors (often faculty mentors when in an academic setting) were also included in many programs, especially those focused on graduate students (Smolock and Robert, 2020). One program for undergraduate students credited faculty involvement as one of the main reasons for success (UMBC, undated).…”

“…A program designed to prepare promising underrepresented graduate students to advance in their pursuit of biomedical research used faculty leads as champions of the program. These faculty members contacted chairpersons of all the research departments in the corresponding school of medicine to identify researchers with sufficient mentoring and training history who could be included in the programming (Smolock and Robert, 2020). Other mentors in programs for college students were contacted through direct invitation by a named faculty member (Apprey et al, 2014).…”

A Multi-Institutional Description of Processes and Outcomes of Postbaccalaureate Research Education Programs in the Mid-Atlantic Region

“…The report speculated that the outcomes of PREP scholars appointed after 2007 may be improved because of modifications made in the 2007 funding announcement, which included setting institutional targets for PhD matriculation rates and funding PREPs only at research-intensive institutions. Indeed, the outcomes reported more recently by PREP institutions show higher matriculation rates to PhD programs, ranging from 73% to 95% 5,7,8 …”

“…Four individual PREP institutions previously reported their program outcomes, [5][6][7][8] and in 2015, the NIH published PREP scholar outcomes from programs funded between 2001 and 2014. 9 Their analysis of the cohort of scholars from institutions who participated in early PREP funding cycles, and thus had time to finish PhD programs, found a PREP attrition rate of 6%, a PhD matriculation rate of approximately 65%, and, of those who matriculated, a PhD completion rate of approximately 63%.…”

“…Indeed, the outcomes reported more recently by PREP institutions show higher matriculation rates to PhD programs, ranging from 73% to 95%. 5,7,8 Development (IMSD) Research Symposium (MAPRS) and are all in at least their second NIH-funding cycle. By reporting the combined metrics from 6 institutions with PREP funding histories ranging from 6 to 19 years, with full access to training milestones and outcomes for scholars in each program, we gained valuable insight into the demographics of PREP scholars, their institutional pathways, and their progression in graduate programs.…”