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Principal Investigator: Shawn Maurice Abernathy
Organization: HOWARD UNIVERSITY
Fiscal Year: 2024
Award: $271,543
Funding agency: National Institute of General Medical Sciences
Summary/Abstract
The United States (US) biomedical science (BMS) enterprise critically lacks diversity at the Ph.D. level. This
problem is due to the lack of underrepresented minority (URM) students at the undergraduate level majoring in
STEM (science technology engineering and mathematics) disciplines. Diversifying our BMS workforce would
improve health equity by eradicating health disparities. This is of the utmost importance since the COVID-19
pandemic is disproportionately affecting underrepresented populations in the US. Given the proper academic
and research training along with encouragement, a substantial number of academically talented URM students
would seek research career in the BMS workforce. The Undergraduate Research Training Initiative for Student
Enhancement (U-RISE) at Howard University Program will tap into this reservoir of students that would contribute
to the diversification of our BMS workforce. Hence, the U-RISE at HU Program leadership mission is to recruit
talented and passionate undergraduate students who envision themselves as innovative BMS scientists and
global leaders in their fields. Our program mission is to engage them in an enhanced academic curriculum and
hands-on research activities during the junior and senior years. This will produce a cadre highly educated,
motivated, and well-trained URM students. To implement and sustain U-RISE at HU Program, the objective of
the project needs to be integrated into our science community and culture. Our specific aims are the following:
1) To recruit academically talented and highly motivated URMs students to participate as trainees who aspire to
a career as a Ph.D. level scientist in BMS discipline. 2) To provide our trainees with an enhanced and structured
research training through an interdisciplinary hands-on intramural research experience, extramural summer
research experience (SRE) as well as a classroom based didactic research. 3) To have at least 75% our program
trainees accepted into a research intensive (R1) university Ph.D. programs in a BMS discipline within two years
of graduation from Howard University, and 4) To design, implement, and institutionalize a STEM professional
development course to stimulate our trainees’ interest. Finally, we envision our program will create a strong
foundation for Howard University in the recruitment, enrollment, retention, and advancement of enthusiastic
undergraduate students majoring in the BMS disciplines.
Terms: <Academic Training><Affect><COVID crisis><COVID epidemic><COVID pandemic><COVID-19 crisis><COVID-19 epidemic><COVID-19 era><COVID-19 global health crisis><COVID-19 global pandemic><COVID-19 health crisis><COVID-19 pandemic><COVID-19 period><COVID-19 public health crisis><COVID-19 years><Communities><Curriculum><Discipline><Doctor of Philosophy><EXTMR><Educational Curriculum><Enrollment><Extramural><Extramural Activities><Foundations><Institutionalization><Intramural Research><Leadership><Mission><Ph.D.><PhD><Research><Research Activity><Research Training><SARS-CoV-2 epidemic><SARS-CoV-2 global health crisis><SARS-CoV-2 global pandemic><SARS-CoV-2 pandemic><SARS-coronavirus-2 epidemic><SARS-coronavirus-2 pandemic><STEM class><STEM course><STEM discipline><STEM field><STEM major><Science><Science, Technology, Engineering and Math><Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics><Scientist><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoV 2 epidemic><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoV 2 pandemic><Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 epidemic><Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic><Structure><Students><Talents><Training><URM student><Underrepresented Ethnic Minority><Underrepresented Groups><Underrepresented Minority><Underrepresented Populations><United States><Universities><career><class development><coronavirus disease 2019 crisis><coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic><coronavirus disease 2019 global health crisis><coronavirus disease 2019 global pandemic><coronavirus disease 2019 health crisis><coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic><coronavirus disease 2019 public health crisis><coronavirus disease crisis><coronavirus disease epidemic><coronavirus disease pandemic><coronavirus disease-19 global pandemic><coronavirus disease-19 pandemic><course development><course material development><design><designing><disparity in health><enroll><experience><hands on research><health disparity><health equity><improved><innovate><innovation><innovative><interest><lesson plans><programs><recruit><science, technology, engineering and math class><science, technology, engineering and math course><science, technology, engineering and math discipline><science, technology, engineering and math field><science, technology, engineering and math major><science, technology, engineering and mathematics class><science, technology, engineering and mathematics course><science, technology, engineering and mathematics discipline><science, technology, engineering and mathematics field><science, technology, engineering and mathematics major><severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 global health crisis><severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 global pandemic><summer research><under representation of groups><under represented groups><under represented people><under represented populations><under-representation of minorities><under-represented minority><undergrad><undergraduate><undergraduate research><undergraduate student><underrepresentation of groups><underrepresentation of minorities><underrepresented minority student><underrepresented people>