Rapid adaptation and remote delivery of undergraduate research training during the COVID 19 Pandemic

Abstract

COVID-19 continues to alter daily life around the globe. Education is particularly affected by shifts to distance learning. This change has poignant effects on all aspects of academic life, including the consequence of increased mental stress reported specifically for students. COVID-19 cancellations of many summer fellowships and internships for undergraduates across the country increased students' uncertainty about their educational opportunities and careers. When the pandemic necessitated elimination of on-campus programming at Mayo Clinic, a new program was developed for remote delivery. Summer Foundations in Research (SFIR) was drafted around 4 aims: 1) support the academic trajectory gap in research science created by COVID-19; 2) build sustainable scientific relationships with mentors, peers, and the community; 3) create opportunities for participants to share and address concerns with their own experiences in the pandemic; and 4) provide support for individual wellbeing. SFIR included research training, but also training in communication through generative Dialogue and resilience through Amit Sood's SMART program. 170 participants were followed for outcomes in these spaces. Knowledge of and interest in careers involving biomedical research rose significantly following SFIR. Participants' mean confidence levels in 12 Key areas of research rose between 0.08 to 1.32 points on a 7-point scale. The strongest gains in mean confidence levels were seen in designing a study and collaborating with others. SFIR participants demonstrated gains in perceived happiness, and measured resilience and a reduction in stress. Participants' qualitative responses indicated exceptionally positive mentor relationships and specific benefit of both the SMART program and Dialogue.

Remote-Only Research Experience Improves STEMM Self-Efficacy in Secondary School Students

“…Students perceived gains in their skills to be a direct result of their research experience. These findings concur with other studies that found that remote undergraduate research experiences developed students' skill confidence and increased their interest in STEMM careers (Speer et al, 2021;Yang Yowler et al, 2021).…”

Robust Institutional Support and Collaboration Between Summer Training Programs in Cancer and Biomedicine Drive the Pivot to a Virtual Format in Response to the COVID Pandemic

“…Beyond promoting cohort cohesiveness, these structured events provide a daily and weekly framework that facilitates the development of time management skills and function as milestones for trainees to monitor their progress. While the content of many of these events was readily transitioned to a virtual format, replicating the interpersonal interactions that are central to effective community building in an online setting required novel approaches and mechanisms [ 5 , 6 , 9 ]. To address this challenge, we took a multifaceted approach in which new online components focused on mentoring, trainee interactions, and holistic wellness.…”

“…New and existing approaches promoted online trainee engagement in group settings that included inter-programmatic, program-specific, or research group contexts. However, COVID restrictions necessitated an increase in research and education components that were performed independently and, in turn, presented a trainee-specific set of challenges that reflected individual learning styles and prior experience in a virtual research environment [ 6 , 12 ]. To address such issues that may not be evident in group settings, program directors and coordinators scheduled a series of one-on-one meetings in which any aspect of the program, the trainee’s educational path, or other concerns could be discussed in a private setting.…”

“…The nanocourse had strong inter-programmatic participation, with eight programs represented across a training spectrum that spanned undergraduate through postdoctoral education, and an average attendance that exceeded 70 trainees per session. The near peer “mixing” that occurred between trainees at different stages of their education enriched the sessions by providing an informal setting that facilitated discussion of basic concepts and their translation to clinical applications [ 6 , 11 ]. The effectiveness of the nanocourse is evidenced by strong learning outcomes that are even more striking given that nearly one quarter of the audience had previously taken immunology as part of the medical school curriculum (Fig.…”

“…The outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 virus (COVID) in the spring of 2020 and its subsequent spread as a developing pandemic led to the partial closing of research facilities at UMB and across the country and created unprecedented challenges for the biomedical research enterprise [ 1 – 3 ]. The resulting restricted access to laboratories that are essential for most summer research training precluded implementation of traditional in-person programs and led to the cancellation of most summer training programs [ 4 – 6 ]. Despite these challenges, some institutions, including UMB, utilized opportunities presented by COVID-associated restrictions to adapt existing components to an effective online platform and develop completely novel virtual projects and program elements [ 5 – 9 ].…”