Document text
Principal Investigator: Joel D Mainland
Organization: MONELL CHEMICAL SENSES CENTER
Fiscal Year: 2024
Award: $204,557
Funding agency: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
PROJECT SUMMARY
Only about 4% of biomedical scientists at US research institutions and universities are from
underrepresented (UR) groups, even though these groups make up 33% of the US population. To support
diversification of the biomedical workforce, with particular focus on the field of the chemical senses, the
Monell Science Apprenticeship Program (MSAP) has a mission to increase participation of disadvantaged
and/or UR students in biomedical research. We are meeting this mission: 5 years after participating in the
MSAP, 15/69 (22%) of the cohort is pursuing postgraduate education, more than 50% higher than the 2021
US Census estimate of 14% of the general population 25 and older holding a master’s degree or higher.
Through our proposed innovations for MSAP 2.0, we will expand and enhance this program’s
positive footprint. MSAP 2.0 offers undergraduate students (and high school students, for whom support is
not requested) training at Monell Center, whose mission is to improve health and well-being by advancing the
scientific understanding of taste, smell, and related senses. The 16 faculty members participating in the
MSAP have diverse scientific backgrounds and conduct collaborative research using methods spanning
such disciplines as electrophysiology, molecular biology, genetics, analytical chemistry, and psychophysics
(in both humans and animals). MSAP 2.0 offers full-time, paid apprenticeships that include 8 summer weeks
of structured research activity with a Monell scientist, as well as enrichment activities that include lectures on
the mechanisms and functions of the chemical senses and instruction on public speaking, written
communication, hypothesis testing, and responsible conduct of research. At the concluding Capstone
Symposium, apprentices present their research findings to all scientists at Monell, peers, stakeholders,
teachers, family, and friends. Mentors are supported by diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB)
experts, and our evaluation plan ensures an inclusive, safe, and supportive experience for the apprentices.
MSAP 2.0 is structured to specifically meet these goals: (1) develop and implement a systematic recruitment
plan to double UR undergraduate participation in MSAP 2.0; (2) provide UR undergraduates with an
intensive, hands-on biomedical research experience, a didactic program, and mentorship in the field of the
chemical senses; and (3) develop and implement systematic evaluation and long-term mentorship and
networking plans to optimize the impact of MSAP 2.0 on future biomedical career choices. The activities
described in this proposal are both a tangible step toward diversification of the workforce in biomedical
sciences, especially the chemical senses, and a way to inspire and prepare the next generation of scientists
to make meaningful contributions to the field. Our 42-year history of continuously running and improving
MSAP provides evidence to anticipate that growth and improvement represented by MSAP 2.0 will lead to
greater future success.
Terms: <21+ years old><Adult><Adult Human><Affect><Affinity><Ageusia><Analytic Chemistry><Analytical Chemistry><Animal Experimental Use><Animal Experimentation><Animal Research><Animals><Area><Award><Baccalaureate Degree><Bachelor's Degree><Biomedical Research><COVID-19><CV-19><Career Choice><Career Path><Censuses><Chemicals><Communication><Coronavirus Infectious Disease 2019><Creativeness><Curriculum><DNA Molecular Biology><Decrease health disparities><Discipline><Disparities><Disparity><Economics><Educational Curriculum><Educational process of instructing><Electrophysiology><Electrophysiology (science)><Ensure><Ethics><Ethnic Origin><Ethnicity><Evaluation><Event><Exhibits><Faculty><Family><Fostering><Friends><Future><Gender><General Population><General Public><Generalized Growth><Genetic><Goals><Growth><Gustation><Health><Health disparity mitigation><Health disparity reduction><High School Student><History><Human><Inequality><Institution><Instruction><International><Interview><Investments><Letters><Lower health disparities><Master of Science><Master's Degree><Mentors><Mentorship><Methods><Mission><Mitigate health disparities><Modern Man><Molecular Biology><Monitor><Mountain Ash><Neurophysiology / Electrophysiology><Olfaction><Oral><Participant><Personal Satisfaction><Philadelphia><Population><Position><Positioning Attribute><Postdoc><Postdoctoral Fellow><Process><Program Evaluation><Psyche structure><Psychophysics><Public Speaking><Race><Races><Recording of previous events><Reduce health disparities><Research><Research Activity><Research Associate><Research Training><Rowan><Running><Science><Scientific Advances and Accomplishments><Scientist><Secondary School Student><Secondary Student><Sensory><Smell><Smell Perception><Sorbus><Structure><Student recruitment><Students><Survey Instrument><Surveys><Taste><Taste Perception><Teaching><Testing><Time><Tissue Growth><Training><Undergraduate Degree><Underrepresented Groups><Underrepresented Populations><Underrepresented Students><Universities><Work><Writing><adulthood><animal experimentations><apprentice><apprenticeship><biomedical scientist><career><career aspiration><career interest><career pathway><career track><cohort><college><collegiate><conference><convention><coronavirus disease 2019><coronavirus disease-19><coronavirus infectious disease-19><creativity><determine efficacy><disadvantaged student><diversity, equity, and inclusiveness><economic><efficacy analysis><efficacy assessment><efficacy determination><efficacy evaluation><efficacy examination><electrophysiological><equity, diversity, and inclusion><ethical><evaluate efficacy><examine efficacy><experience><gustatory perception><gustatory processing><gustatory response><high school><high schoolers><histories><improved><innovate><innovation><innovative><insight><lectures><lesson plans><matriculation><meeting><meetings><member><mental><next generation><odor perception><olfactory perception><ontogeny><outreach><peer><post-doc><post-doctoral><post-doctoral trainee><post-graduate education><postgraduate education><prevent><preventing><programs><psychophysical><racial><racial background><racial origin><recruit><research associates><responsible research conduct><scientific accomplishments><scientific advances><skills><students who are disadvantaged><success><summit><symposia><symposium><taste loss><taste processing><taste response><teacher><under representation of groups><under represented groups><under represented people><under represented populations><undergrad><undergraduate><undergraduate education><undergraduate student><underrepresentation of groups><underrepresented people><well-being><wellbeing>