Key Practices and Interventions for Training and Transitioning UR Students from an HBCU into Advanced Degree Programs in the Biomedical Sciences

Abstract

For more than 30 years, institutions funded by NIH had less than an impressive record for achieving diversity in the bio- medical workforce. To address this concern, NIH recently implemented a series of bold initiatives to bridge the gaps in NIH training programs to further promote diversity. However, critical to the success of these initiatives is the timely report- ing, from institutions with large diverse populations such as HBCUs, of evidence-based practices, strategies, and interven- tions for training and transitioning individuals underrepre- sented (UR) in the biomedical sciences from baccalaureate to Ph.D. degree programs. To this end, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the 10-year success of the NIH-funded MBRS Fayetteville State University (FSU) Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (FSU-RISE) program for training and subsequent transitioning of UR students from the baccalaure- ate degree into advanced degree programs in the biomedical sciences. We hypothesized that the FSU-RISE program would significantly increase the number of well-prepared under- graduate UR biology and chemistry students who would graduate and transition into advanced degree programs in the biomedical sciences. This article provides evidence-based findings on practices, strategies and interventions for prepar- ing UR individuals from a Historically Black College and Uni- versity (HBCU) for successful entry into Ph.D. programs