NIH/IRACDA Program – a Win for Both Post‐Docs and PUI Partner Institutions

Abstract

The NIH/IRACDA program is a career development program that facilitates the progress of postdoctoral candidates towards biomedical research and teaching careers in academia. The program promotes consortia between research‐intensive institutions and partner institutions that have a historical mission and a demonstrated commitment to providing training, encouragement and assistance to students from groups underrepresented in the biomedical research enterprise. Medgar Evers College (MEC) is an undergraduate Minority Serving Institution in Central Brooklyn, NY with a student enrollment of about 7,000, 75% of which is female. Since 2010 MEC has been one of two partner institutions of the INSPIRE (IRACDA New Jersey/New York for Science Partnership in Research and Education) program with Rutgers‐RWJMS. Thus far twelve INSPIRE fellows have received or are currently receiving training in MEC science classrooms and/or teaching labs under the mentorship of five MEC faculty. Before coming to the partner institution, fellows spend their first year in a scientific teaching workshop at Rutgers where they participate in sessions that include setting learning goals, diversity and learning styles, instructional technology, active learning techniques, and assessing learning outcomes. As a result, INSPIRE fellows bring many fresh and novel teaching approaches to MEC undergraduate courses. Fellows also have been very effective at incorporating their postdoctoral research interests and techniques into various lecture and lab topics to not only enhance science learning but also drive home how important being a researcher is to the advancement of medical science. The INSPIRE program provides valuable career development for post‐docs interested in advancing both their research and teaching skills. The hands‐on training they are receiving in how to balance research and teaching has already proved to help a large percentage of INSPIRE fellows obtain academic positions at both PUIs and research‐intensive institutions. Partner institutions benefit as well for INSPIRE is proving to have a positive impact at MEC, especially in the areas of science curriculum, research and undergraduate career development. INSPIRE fellows have provided new ideas and techniques to improve teaching and learning of various course topics, and have worked with MEC faculty to develop new undergraduate courses and research collaborations. Being a partner institution in the INSPIRE program has placed well‐trained post‐doc researchers, with a passion for teaching, on our campus to interact with our undergraduate students both in and out of the classroom. By relating their own experiences on how to prepare for and navigated graduate school, INSPIRE fellows are serving as excellent role models for MEC students, effectively building up their self‐confidence about applying to graduate school and motivating many to think about biomedical research careers.Support or Funding InformationNIH/IRACDA ‐ 5K12GM093854