CREiGS Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion
While underrepresented minorities (URMs) make up the most rapidly growing segment of the US population, diversifying the biomedical research workforce is still a major challenge (Valantine and Collins, 2015). There is sufficient evidence supporting the need for research and educational training programs that help diversify the clinical investigator workforce, especially since diverse investigators play an integral role in identifying new research problems, especially relevant to underserved populations, and alleviating health disparities in the US, while advancing the conceptual and methodological innovation by which we tackle these problems (Smith 2009; Cohen 2002; Smedley 2003).
URMs in the US, in particular, find themselves in a uniquely complex predicament in that they are: 1) less likely to be recruited and/or choose to participate in clinical and translational studies, 2) less likely to enter into clinical and translational research-related professions, and 3) as faculty less likely to secure federal research funding and be promoted to senior faculty ranks in academic medical institutions (Sung 2003; Shavers 2005; Nunez-Smith 2012; Fang 2000; Smith 2009). Although the challenges to increasing both the recruitment and retention of diverse leaders and investigators in the biomedical research workforce require rigorous, multilevel solutions, we posit that one mechanism by which we can better ensure the success of diverse trainees and faculty members who are underrepresented in science and medicine (URiSM) is by providing them with frequent opportunities to increase their methodological research capacity.
Thus, in order to make a valuable contribution to increasing the methodological expertise of diverse trainees and faculty interested in building a strong research foundation in the genomics sciences, we have established a Diversity Recruitment External Advisory Board (DREAB) to ensure that the most effective strategies are employed to recruit diverse medical/doctoral students, postdoctoral scholars, and faculty from academic institutions nationwide into CREiGS. The DREAB, consisting of Dr. Felicity Enders (Mayo Clinic), Dr. Amanda Golbeck (University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences), and Dr. Simone Heyliger (Hampton University), has put together a detailed action plan for diversity recruitment, which they intend to expand over the five-year duration of the course. The primary tasks of the DREAB members are as follows:
Identify barriers to recruitment of URiSMs with the understanding that the barriers may differ by factors like rank or stage in academic career, specialty or track, level of institutional commitment to diversity, and geographic region.
Make effective recommendations that address the identified barriers to recruitment of URMs.
Build on existing networks with the National Medical Association, National Hispanic Medical Association, Hampton University as well as a host of other HBCUs, the University of Puerto Rico, the Network of Minority Research Investigators (NMRI), the Minority Women in Research Network, Leading Diverse Scientists to Success (LEADS) program, as well as other networks/professional societies for URiSMs while developing new relationships with leaders of other academic institutions, CTSAs, Centers of Excellence (COEs) in Minority Medical Education, and national organizations, medical and scientific/professional societies to expand URiSM nationwide recruitment outreach efforts.
Develop methods to annually evaluate the effectiveness of URiSM recruitment strategies.
Make improvements to URiSM recruitment efforts based on results of the annual evaluations.