to UCSF’s Advocacy and Community through Empowerment Program

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The rationale for this grant is rooted in the observed disparities in the experiences and outcomes of UCSF students from historically underrepresented and marginalized (HUG) groups. Despite being academically indistinguishable from their majority peers in terms of GPA, publications, and time to degree, these students report higher rates of unhappiness and dissatisfaction, leading to lower participation in the scientific workforce upon graduation. We and others contend that the repeated emphasis on the negative experiences and unique difficulties encountered by these students has created a deficit focused thread of inquiry in which research continually identifies institutional mismatches and achievement gaps as compared to their well- represented peers. Arguably, identifying deficits does not account for the positive experiences and successes of these students, nor acknowledge that there are many historically underrepresented and marginalized students who elect and successfully complete higher STEM degrees, pursue STEM careers, or choose to use their STEM degrees in creative ways. Therefore, this proposal is guided by evidence in graduate education that points to the importance and effectiveness of social support programs that help HUG students successfully navigate the graduate school experience. The overarching mission of the proposed UCSF IMSD-T32 Program is to intentionally cultivate a community that values the experiences and perspectives of each HUG cohort and prepares fellows for academic and professional success as biomedical researchers. Training and activities proposed here will help IMSD Fellows’ academic and career success, because they will develop a strong sense of scientific identity through a series of co-curricular innovations that promote better alignment between personal and professional values, thus strengthening IMSD Fellows’ ability and desire to persist toward positions of scientific leadership. The program aims to foster scientific identity congruence and create a supportive academic environment that centers around community, belonging, identity, and organizational congruence. Key innovations include summer research rotation opportunities with programming to align personal and professional values, near-peer mentoring to foster mentorship skills, and initiatives to develop IMSD Fellows' agency and ownership in academic and career planning. By reinforcing anti-deficit framework and operationalizing campus resources for well-being, community building and career development, the proposed UCSF IMSD-T32 Program will provide frameworks for IMSD Fellows to create and measure their own pathways toward success.