Virginia Commonwealth University IMSD Program (VCU-IMSD)

弗吉尼亚联邦大学 IMSD 项目 (VCU-IMSD)

• 批准号: 8242754
• 负责人: SUZANNE E BARBOUR
• 金额: $ 21.67万
• 依托单位: VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2010-03-15 至 2014-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/8242754
• 关键词: Address; Biochemistry; Biological; Biology; Biomedical Research; Cellular biology; Communication; Communities; Counseling; Data; Development; Disease; Doctor of Philosophy; Drops; Education; Educational Status; Enrollment; Ensure; Faculty; Foundations; Funding; Future; Gatekeeping; Goals; Healthcare; Individual; Laboratories; Learning; Letters; Life; Measurable; Medical; Medicine; Mentors; Mind; Modeling; Molecular Biology; Nature; Oral; Paper; Performance; Phase; Preparation; Problem Solving; Productivity; Publications; Publishing; Research; Research Personnel; Research Project Grants; Research Training; Resources; Risk; Schools; Science; Self Efficacy; Series; Stress; Structure; Students; Thinking; Training; Underrepresented Minority; Universities; Virginia; Writing; career; design; early experience; experience; follow-up; improved; interest; medical schools; news; novel strategies; peer; planetary Atmosphere; posters; pre-doctoral; programs; public health relevance; skills; success; symposium; undergraduate research; undergraduate student; web site

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) IMSD program as prompted by a self-study which indicated that significant percentages of underrepresented minority (URM) VCU undergraduate Biology majors and PhD students in the biomedical sciences are underperforming in their academic programs. Although more than 1/3 of VCU freshman and sophomore Biology majors are URM, ~40% of these individuals drop out of the Biology major due to poor performance in gatekeeper courses. The VCU School of Medicine (SOM) matriculates and graduates PhD students at rates that are comparable to the national average, but these individuals take longer to graduate and are less productive (fewer first and co-author papers) than are their majority peers. To address these disparities, we propose a two-phase, comprehensive research and education program intended to provide URM undergraduate and PhD students with the theoretical background, technical skills, critical thinking/ problem solving abilities, confidence, and determination necessary to succeed in careers in research. The VCU IMSD program takes advantage of existing resources, builds on existing successful models, and incorporates novel strategies to intervene with "at risk" students. The undergraduate phase of VCU IMSD will target 16 talented Biology students for participation in a program that provides (a) highly-structured courses intended to incrementally introduce students to basic concepts in biomedical research, (b) an early and intensive mentored research experience followed by a 2-year independent research project, (c) a "Learning Community" of like-minded scholars, intended to envelope IMSD Scholars in a atmosphere of continuous learning and personal/ professional development, and (d) a variety of enrichment activities providing opportunities to practice oral and written presentation skills, counseling in preparation of graduate school applications, and development of skills sets necessary for success on standardized exams. The PhD phase of the IMSD program will be admit two IMSD Predocs/ year who will participate in (a) a "pre-matriculation" summer program that provides courses in Critical Scientific Thinking and basic Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology and a highly mentored research experience, (b) a reduced course load that offers the option of completing the first year of PhD courses over the course of two years, and (c) enrichment activities that stress the development of critical thinking/ problem solving capacities, offer opportunities to develop communications skills, and provide networking opportunities intended to build confidence, establish self- efficacy, and promote the independence that is necessary to be productive in research. We strongly believe that the VCU IMSD program will not only ensure IMSD-supported students' commitment and completion of the PhD in biomedical sciences but that the enthusiasm and passion of IMSD students will impact on their non- supported peers and spark their interest in biomedical research as well. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The future of medicine depends on biomedical research and the new discoveries that research brings to disease mechanisms. However, disparities exist, not only in healthcare and disease but also in the researchers who push biomedicine forward. The VCU-IMSD program is intended to address this disparity by increasing the number of underrepresented minorities who pursue PhD level training in biomedical research.

描述（由申请人提供）：弗吉尼亚联邦大学 (VCU) IMSD 计划由一项自学推动，该研究表明，相当大比例的弗吉尼亚联邦大学 (URM) 生物医学专业本科生和博士生的学术表现不佳程序。尽管超过 1/3 的 VCU 生物专业大一和大二学生都是 URM，但其中约 40% 的人由于看门人课程表现不佳而退出了生物专业。弗吉尼亚联邦大学医学院 (SOM) 博士生的入学率和毕业率与全国平均水平相当，但与大多数同龄人相比，这些人毕业所需的时间更长，而且生产力较低（第一作者和共同作者论文较少）。为了解决这些差异，我们提出了一个两阶段的综合研究和教育计划，旨在为 URM 本科生和博士生提供在以下领域取得职业成功所需的理论背景、技术技能、批判性思维/解决问题的能力、信心和决心。研究。 VCU IMSD 项目利用现有资源，以现有成功模式为基础，并采用新颖的策略来干预“处于危险中”的学生。 VCU IMSD 的本科阶段将针对 16 名才华横溢的生物学学生参加一项计划，该计划提供 (a) 旨在逐步向学生介绍生物医学研究基本概念的高度结构化课程，(b) 早期密集的指导研究经验，然后为期 2 年的独立研究项目，(c) 由志同道合的学者组成的“学习社区”，旨在将 IMSD 学者置于持续学习和个人/专业发展的氛围中，以及 (d) 提供机会的各种丰富活动练习口头和书面表达技巧，为研究生院申请准备提供咨询，以及开发在标准化考试中取得成功所需的技能。 IMSD 项目的博士阶段每年将录取两名 IMSD 博士预科生，他们将参加 (a) 一个“预科”夏季项目，该项目提供批判性科学思维和基础生物化学、细胞和分子生物学以及高度指导的研究课程经验，（b）减少课程负担，提供在两年内完成博士课程第一年的选择，以及（c）强调发展批判性思维/解决问题能力的丰富活动，提供发展机会沟通技巧，以及提供旨在建立信心、建立自我效能并促进研究富有成效所必需的独立性的交流机会。我们坚信，VCU IMSD 项目不仅将确保 IMSD 支持的学生致力于并完成生物医学科学博士学位，而且 IMSD 学生的热情和热情将影响他们未获得支持的同龄人，并激发他们对生物医学研究的兴趣以及。 公共卫生相关性：医学的未来取决于生物医学研究以及研究对疾病机制的新发现。然而，差距不仅存在于医疗保健和疾病方面，而且还存在于推动生物医学向前发展的研究人员方面。 VCU-IMSD 计划旨在通过增加在生物医学研究领域接受博士学位培训的少数族裔人数来解决这一差距。