Diversifying the ranks of prevention scientists through a community collaborative approach to education.

Abstract

ABSTRACT Despite an increasingly pluralistic U.S. population and numerous programmatic efforts to diversify the scientific workforce, proportional representation of minorities remains slim in the scientist community. This is especially problematic in the prevention science field, which often focuses on at risk sociodemographic populations with overrepresentations of people of color. We posit that diversification could be hastened through the creation and coordination of a variety of educational and training experiences for students and lay people within minority communities. Examples are presented, and recommendations are made for future prevention science training efforts. Support for this project was provided by Grant MH 46690 from the Prevention and Behavioral Medicine Research Branch, Division of Epidemiology and Services Research, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Office of Research on Minority Health (ORMH), U.S. Public Health Service (PHS), and Grant DA 12231 from the Prevention Research Branch, Division of Epidemiology and Prevention Research, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), U.S. PHS. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to J. Mark Eddy, PhD, Oregon Social Learning Center, 160 East Fourth Avenue, Eugene, Oregon, 97401.