Special Populations Office: Our Role in Training

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Special Populations Office Our Role in Training

• Lula Beatty
• Special Populations Office
• Research Training Directors Meeting
• Bethesda
• November 3, 2006

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Objectives

• Discuss the purpose of the Special Populations
  Office
• Describe research development and training
  programs of the office
• Identify possible mutual concerns and interests

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SPOs Vision and Goals

• The SPO strives to increase and improve the
  quality of the knowledge base on understanding,
  preventing and treating drug abuse and addiction
  particularly as drug use affects racial/ethnic
  minority and other health disparity populations.
  Goals include

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SPOs Vision and Goals

• Preparing researchers to better address minority
  health disparities
• Stimulating/Encouraging research that will lead
  to more effective drug abuse and drug abuse
  related prevention and treatment approaches for
  racial/ethnic minority populations
• Increasing the number of racial/ethnic minority
  researchers engaged in drug abuse and related
  research

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Increasing the Number of Racial/Ethnic Minority
Researchers

• Diversity (Minority) Supplement Program
• Summer Research with NIDA
• Research Development Seminar Series
• Expert Racial/Ethnic Minority Work Groups
• National Hispanic Science Network
• Historically Black Colleges and Universities
  (HBCU) Initiative
• Minority Institutions Drug Abuse Research Program
  (MIDARP)
• Southern Africa Initiative

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Diversity (Minority) Supplement Program

• NIH-wide program
• Supplement to NIDA grantees
• Mentoring/Training for an identified individual
  from underrepresented or disadvantaged
  population includes support for persons with
  disabilities
• Certain mechanisms cannot be supplemented, e.g.,
  Ts

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Diversity (Minority) Supplement Awards New
Continuing FY 1994 FY 2005
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New Minority Supplement Awards FY 1994 FY
2004 Gender, Level of Support Ethnicity
M Male F Female HS High School NA
Native American U Undergraduate PI Pacific
Islander Pre Predoctoral Post Postdoctoral I
Investigator
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Summer Research with NIDA

• Summer program for undergraduates and high school
  students from racial/ethnic minority groups
• 8-10 week research placement with NIDA
  investigator
• Off-shoot of Diversity Supplement program

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Summer Research with NIDA Program
FY 1997 FY 2005
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Number of Summer Sites by Year
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Minority Recruitment and Training Program (IRP)

• Summer program for persons in high school through
  college some faculty support
• About 25 students participate each summer
• Partnered with an IRP scientist

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Seminar Series

• Technical assistance program established in 1980s
  for underrepresented scientists who are ready to
  apply for independent awards
• Must have written concept
• Provides science and proposal development
  lectures, small group discussion, and one-on-one
  mentoring in two-session seminars (about 6 months
  apart)

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Seminar Series

• Mentoring provided by staff and extramural
  scientists
• Second session centers on mock review led by NIDA
  SRA
• Expectation is that application will be submitted
  within 6 12 months after last session

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Seminar Series Outcomes

• In early years, success rate reported at over 80
• A number of participants have become NIDA and
  other NIH grantees

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Selected Co-sponsored Programs

• Physician Scientist Program (NCMHD)
• Longitudinal research development program for
  racial/ethnic minority students (starting at 7th
  grade)
• High school students placed in NIDA IRP during
  summer
• Clinical Research Education and Career
  Development in Minority Institutions (NCRR)
• Specialized Neuroscience Research Program (NINDS)
• Minority Fellowship Programs (to professional
  associations)
• Native American Research Centers of Health
  (Indian Health Service)
• Summer Program at Harvard for Native American
  students
• (with NIMH and others)
• Summer internships, e.g., HACU, NAFEO, WIN

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Assessment of NIH Minority Research and Training
Programs

• National Academy of Sciences study to
• Assess how well these NIH minority research
  training programs work
• Identify characteristics of successful programs,
  trainees and institutions
• Recommend strategies to render future assessments
  feasible
• Provide recommendations for a coordinated trainee
  tracking information system

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Difficulties Experienced

• Inadequate trainee tracking data
• Available data are not readily accessible
• Prohibition against accessing or viewing
  individual trainee race and gender data
• Lack of coordination among NIH minority research
  training IC representatives

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Conclusions

• Underrepresented minorities are entering the
  biomedical workforce as a direct result of the
  NIH minority research training programs
• Best feature is the research experience itself
• Financial support was another best feature,
  though needs to be increased
• Other positive features were opportunities to
  network and collaborate, prepare grant proposal

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Conclusions

• Mentoring needs to be improved (e.g., mundane
  administrative tasks)
• Half of T32 minority postdocs reported having no
  mentor
• Drop off of females at postdoc/junior faculty
  level
• Look beyond training the individual fellow to
  effect long-term change

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Common Concerns

• Meeting our expectations for inclusion of
  students from racial/ethnic population groups
• Evaluating effectiveness
• Tracking students and participants
• Ensuring that participants receive excellent
  mentoring, opportunities, and support
• Ensuring that grantees (mentors) feel supported
  and appreciated

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Can We Help You?

• Share names of students in our programs
  interested in pre and post doctoral support
• Share mentoring experiences, concerns and
  successes
• Know requirements of our Diversity Supplement
  program so that you can use it with R or other
  awards

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Will you help us?

• How can we show support for/appreciation of
  mentors
• Participate in our Seminar Series and other
  meetings as faculty/mentors

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Contact Us301-443-0441http//www.nida.nih.gov/ab
out/organization/SPO/SPOHome.html

• Pamela Goodlow Diversity Supplement and Seminar
  Series
• Flair Lindsey Summer Research with NIDA
• Ana Anders National Hispanic Science Network
• Derrick Prather Work Groups and Southern Africa