DEI Summer Research Program

Research teams with diversity among the members are shown to be more effective than homogeneous teams. However, many persons from disadvantaged minority groups may not be aware of career opportunities in biomedical sciences. We hypothesize that exposure to science as a career needs to be early such that students can prepare themselves for such a career. To that end, in 2021 the Research Service of the Oklahoma City US Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center partnered with Langston University to offer a summer research experience to under-represented minority undergraduate students. Langston, founded as part of the 2nd Morill Act of 1890 as a land-grant college. is located about 30 miles from the OKC VAMC main campus in Oklahoma City, and is Oklahoma’s only and the nation’s most westerly Historically Black University. Virtually all undergraduate students at Langston are culturally identified as Black Americans, and many are from poor and rural backgrounds, and many are the first member of their family to attend college. Subsequently, in collaboration with Langston and our academic partner the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, which is immediately adjacent to the OKC VA, we obtained funding for a 3-year summer research pilot program for under-represented minority students. This program was highly successful, not only the research experience but our evaluation of the program. Based on the latter we implemented several well received changes such a journal club to train students to search, read and interpret medical literature as well as preparatory sessions to train students in fundamental lab techniques and ethics. We also incorporated minority students from the US military academies into the program in 2023 (and will do so in 2024). Based on our success in the pilot program, we plan on continuing the collaboration with Langston and OMRF with a 5- year award with the hypothesis that the best method to learn about biomedical research is to do it. Our aims are as follows. First, provide a hands-on summer research experience to Langston University undergraduates. Second, provide a summer research experience to under-represented undergraduate at the US military academies with the hypothesis that these students may be highly likely to service their country in the VA system. In a third specific aim, we will provide educational session complementing the practical experience in order to enhance students ‘soft skills’ such as speaking and presenting, and understanding biomedical literature. Our summer research program will allow students to not just to experience but perform biomedical research such that these students can make an informed decision about their future career goals.