IMSD@UNTHSC

Project Summary/Abstract Increasing the entry of underrepresented minority (URM) groups into graduate programs is essential, but retention will translate into higher numbers of minority groups entering biomedical research careers. Evidence suggests that providing research-training opportunities is a successful mechanism to increase and sustain a student’s motivation and skill acquisition to pursue biomedical and behavioral research career paths among URM populations. For 30 years (1993), The University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC) has dedicated its educational mission to train a talented and inclusive workforce evidenced by its long-standing commitment to providing pathways for training individuals that historically are underrepresented in biomedical research, behavioral science, and health profession careers. UNTHSC attracts a diverse student body within Texas, neighboring states, and prides itself on the number of PhDs awarded to students which earned their bachelor’s degree from minority-serving institutions (e.g., HBCUs, HSIs, PBIs) and low-resource institutions which enriches its overall diverse demographic across all its schools. UNTHSC’s institutional efforts to promote diversity and enhance research training is the implementation of its Coordinated Plan to Diversify the Biomedical Research Workforce. This plan is designed to enhance awareness of educational opportunities for students in K-12, provide training in academic skills that is focused on biomedical and behavioral science research for a diverse and inclusive student body by student recruitment from partner institutions and non- partner institutions and increase financial and economic opportunities for graduate students during both M.S. and Ph.D. studies. The overarching goal of the IMSD@UNTHSC is to support the timely completion of Ph.D. degrees by underrepresented groups and their transition into successful biomedical careers. Our objectives are to 1) Recruit a competitive pool of underrepresented students that complete a Ph.D. and 2) Ensure that at least 80% of Ph.D. students will complete the Ph.D. degree at or in less time than 5.2 years within the median of 4.88 to 5.73 years for all biomedical sciences. The expected impact of IMSD@UNTHSC includes a more holistic training program that is supportive of the timely completion of Ph.D. degrees by underrepresented groups and their transition into successful biomedical careers.