Frontiers in Education最新文献

Introduction: This study investigates the impact of undergraduate research experiences on applications to graduate and professional programs, particularly for underrepresented minority students at Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs).

Methods: The study analyzes data collected at 10 MSIs participating in the NIH BUILD program to understand the relationship between research participation (in formal programs vs. informal research), student demographics, science self-efficacy, GPA, and application to advanced degree programs.

Results: Results indicate that undergraduate research participation, especially in formal programs for extended periods of time, positively influences applications to graduate/professional programs, with similar outcomes observed across underrepresented minority and non-minority students.

Discussion: Findings indicate that organized programs in biomedical research training significantly increase the probability of students applying to graduate or professional programs when programs span more than 12 months. This has implications for the design and implementation of biomedical research training programs, especially at MSIs.

Introduction: Very few studies have examined the relationship between student characteristics and their acceptance to research training programs that use holistic selection. The present study addressed this question using institutional and applicant data of three NIH undergraduate training programs at California State University, Long Beach. Its first aim was to examine whether the applicants to the training programs were representative of the broader campus population. Its second aim was to investigate whether applicants who were accepted to the programs using a holistic selection process differed in academic discipline, demographics, and psychosocial characteristics from applicants who were not accepted.

Methods: Information on students' majors, race/ethnicity, and gender was obtained from the university records or applications submitted by students. Majors were categorized as either biomedical or behavioral disciplines, while URM status was defined as students who self-identified their race and ethnicity as African American/Black, Native American, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, or Hispanic. Applicants' psychosocial characteristics were obtained from a separate online survey. The acceptance status of applicants was obtained from the training programs' records.

Results: The applicant and non-applicant groups showed similar distribution of demographic characteristics regarding URM status and gender. Moreover, students' academic discipline and other demographic variables were not associated with application status at either the lower division (LD) or upper division (UD) levels. Although psychosocial characteristics measured with the online survey were not considered in the selection process, post-hoc analyses showed that LD applicants with higher grit and UD applicants with higher science interests were more likely to be accepted to the programs.

Conclusion: The equal representation of URM and female students in the applicant and non-applicant groups suggests that students from these traditionally underrepresented groups in STEM were just as likely to apply to our training programs. Furthermore, while the holistic selection process resulted in comparable acceptance rates across URM status and gender, it appeared to favor LD applicants with higher grit and UD students with higher science interests. These findings imply that research training programs can effectively recruit diverse students from underrepresented populations in STEM by using intentional outreach and recruitment efforts coupled with an objective and holistic selection process.

Traditional stable genetic transformation in plant biotechnology remains largely inaccessible at many Primarily Undergraduate Institution (PUIs) due to high costs, long timelines, and specialized facility demands. Viral vector-based transient expression systems offer an efficient and accessible alternative method that enables meaningful undergraduate research within a single academic term. These systems utilize plant virus-derived vectors (e.g., TMV or Geminivirus) to transiently express target genes, producing detectable recombinant proteins within 3-7 days. Requiring only basic lab tools, they align well with Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs), lab courses, and capstone projects. Students gain practical experience in gene cloning, agroinfiltration, protein or metabolite chemical analysis, while faculty benefit from increased research capacity and funding potential. This mini-review highlights the advantages, implementation strategies, and funding opportunities of viral vector-based transient expression systems at PUIs, underscoring their value in expanding access to synthetic biology, plant-based biomanufacturing, and interdisciplinary STEM education.

The BUilding Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) undergraduate research training program is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to strengthen the pipeline for underrepresented students through graduate school and into health-related research careers in the biomedical and behavioral sciences. This study evaluates the impact of BUILD participation at a Minority-Serving Institution in Southern California on graduate school outcomes up to 6 years post-graduation including doctoral program enrollment and degree attainment using a quasi-experimental design. BUILD students were compared to a propensity score matched non-BUILD group using logistic regression. Results showed BUILD students enrolled in Ph.D. programs and attained Ph.Ds. at a higher rate compared to matched peers. Findings indicate BUILD met a pivotal program objective to increase doctoral degree attainment imperative for health-related research careers in biomedical and behavioral sciences. Furthermore, results support the added value of undergraduate research programs for students from underrepresented backgrounds.

Data quality is critical in mental health research, but variability in training among those collecting data can undermine research outcomes. In this context, the Assessment of Key Interviewing Factors for Research Assistants (AKIRA) emerges as a novel, competency-based framework specifically designed for interview-based mental health data collection. AKIRA systematically identifies and evaluates key interviewing behaviors across ten domains, highlighting areas of mastery, improvement, and potentially harmful practices. Emphasizing cross-cultural applicability, the tool adapts to diverse research settings, particularly where non-specialist data collectors play central roles. Global mental health services face significant challenges, with treatment rates for conditions such as depression alarmingly low, especially in lower-to-middle income countries. Such disparities underscore the urgent need for evidence-based, culturally sensitive interventions and robust monitoring systems to bridge gaps in mental health care. Despite the growing demand for high-quality data, there is a marked absence of systematic competency assessments for research assistants, contributing to variability and potential bias in data collection processes. AKIRA was developed through an iterative process involving literature reviews, adaptation of existing frameworks for competency assessment, and feedback from key informants. Its pilot testing and ongoing evaluation aim to refine its utility, ensuring that non-specialist data collectors are better prepared to engage with communities and conduct reliable, replicable research. By standardizing interview techniques and addressing the "interviewer effect," AKIRA not only enhances data quality but also facilitates ethical, culturally informed research practices. Future psychometric evaluations and cross-context adaptations, including implementations in the United States, Uganda, and Nepal, promise to further integrate this tool into mental health research infrastructures, ultimately supporting more effective program monitoring and improved mental health outcomes globally. Overall, AKIRA represents a transformative step in standardizing data collection competencies. Its broad adoption could enhance research quality, inform policy decisions, and ultimately contribute to reducing global mental health disparities at scale.

Introduction: Loan burden presents a significant barrier for trainees in different medical fields. However, disparities in loan burden of anesthesia trainees of underrepresented in medicine (URiM), first-generation and female-identifying backgrounds have not been studied. Moreover, it is not known whether membership in these groups is associated with well-being or life decisions after controlling for loan burden.

Methods: In this cross-sectional observational study, an online survey was disseminated by the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) to anesthesia trainees in the United States (U.S.) from October to November 2022. Demographic information, Harvard Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF) well-being scores, and whether trainees perceive loan burden as delaying buying a house or having children were all collected. We evaluated associations between demographic group memberships, probability of having high loan burden, and delayed life decisions and well-being before and after adjusting for high loan burden.

Results: The study represents 952 of 6,502 U.S. trainees (14.6%). The respondents had a mean age of 31 years, and 385 identified as female (40.4%), 150 as URiM (15.8%), and 634 as first-generation college (FGC) trainees (66.6%). The proportion of trainees with high loan burden was higher in the URiM 138 (92.0%) and FGC groups 565 (89.1%). Trainees in the high loan burden group were more likely to delay having children (OR = 3.69, 95% Simultaneous Confidence Interval (SCI) 2.38-5.73) and delay buying a home (OR = 5.27, 95% SCI: 3.45-8.05). Once loan burden was adjusted for, many disparities persisted in associations: URiM delaying buying a home (OR = 2.14, 95% SCI: 1.01-4.54), FGC delaying buying a home (OR = 1.56, 95% SCI: 1.02-2.38), female-identifying delaying children (OR = 1.49, 95% SCI: 1.04-2.13) and female-identifying well-being (Diff = -3.47, 95% SCI: -5.83, -1.11).

Conclusions: FGC and URiM anesthesia trainees have significantly higher odds of having high loan burden and continue to experience disparities in life decisions after controlling for loan burden. Female-identifying trainees have significantly higher odds of delaying childbearing and have lower well-being after controlling for loan burden.

The recent movement underscoring the importance of career taxonomies has helped usher in a new era of transparency in PhD career outcomes. The convergence of discipline-specific organizational movements, interdisciplinary collaborations, and federal initiatives has helped to increase PhD career outcomes tracking and reporting. Transparent and publicly available PhD career outcomes are being used by institutions to attract top applicants, as prospective graduate students are factoring in these outcomes when deciding on the program and institution in which to enroll for their PhD studies. Given the increasing trend to track PhD career outcomes, the number of institutional efforts and supporting offices for these studies have increased, as has the variety of methods being used to classify and report/visualize outcomes. This report comprehensively synthesizes existing PhD career taxonomy tools, resources, and visualization options to help catalyze and empower institutions to develop and publish their own PhD career outcomes. Similar fields between taxonomies were mapped to create a new crosswalk tool, thereby serving as an empirical review of the career outcome tracking systems available. Moreover, this work spotlights organizations, consortia, and funding agencies that are steering policy changes toward greater transparency in PhD career outcomes reporting. Such transparency not only attracts top talent to universities, but also propels research progress and technological innovation forward. Therefore, university administrators must be well-versed in government policies that may impact their PhD students. Engaging with government relations offices and establishing dialogues with policymakers are crucial steps toward staying informed about relevant legislation and advocating for more resources. For instance, much of the recent science legislation in the U.S. Congress, including the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) and Science Act, significantly impacts federal agency programs influencing universities. To ensure sustained development, it is imperative to support initiatives that enhance transparency, both in terms of legislation and resources. Increased funding for programs supporting transparency will aid legislatures and institutions in staying informed and responsive. Many efforts presented in this publication have received support from federal and state governments or philantrophic sources, underscoring the need for multifaceted support to initiate and perpetuate this level of systemic change.

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Introduction: There are lessons to be learned from campuses providing financial support to students involved in grant-funded science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) training initiatives. We examine students' perspectives on financial support from the Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) program, funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Methods: We analyzed qualitative data collected from 122 BUILD undergraduate participants during site visits to the 10 NIH-sponsored BUILD programs using generic qualitative inquiry.

Results: Using Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) to guide qualitative data analysis, we found that students perceived BUILD funding to reduce financial stress and increase access to career training; however, the impact of aid was hampered by limitations in funding and financial aid processes.

Discussion: Findings from this study reveal that financial support from BUILD often facilitated college entry and participation in biomedical research training experiences for students. While students viewed financial support as beneficial to their academic and professional trajectory, they also noted challenges with financial aid processes on campus. This study has implications for federal funding agencies, foundations, and higher education institutions, specifically in developing innovative disbursement processes to improve support and to reduce unintended harmful consequences for student recipients.