1. Building a biomedical pipeline: the impact of the Idaho IDeA INBRE summer research experience at a primarily undergraduate institution.
- Author
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Heggland SJ, Hovde CJ, Minnich SA, Liou LE, and Daniels RL
- Subjects
- Humans, Idaho, Mentors, Universities, Biomedical Research, Students
- Abstract
Idaho Institutional Development Award (IDeA) Network for Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) aims to build biomedical research capacity and enhance the scientific and technology knowledge of the Idaho workforce. A key INBRE Program at The College of Idaho, a primarily undergraduate institution of 1,100 students, is a 10-wk summer fellows research experience. This report documents outcomes from 2005 to present, including demographic trends, faculty and student research productivity, self-reported gains, educational attainment, and career outcomes. Of 103 participants, 83.7% were from Idaho, 26.7% from rural areas, and 23.9% first-generation college students. Faculty and student research productivity (conference presentations and peer-reviewed publications) increased threefold. We found that 91.4% of fellows entered a scientific- or healthcare-related career and that 70.7% completed or are currently enrolled in postgraduate training (51.7% doctoral and 19.0% master's level). Anonymous surveys were uniformly positive, with gains in self-confidence and independent laboratory work. Open-ended responses indicated students valued mentoring efforts and improved awareness of scientific opportunities and competitive preparation for postgraduate training. Lastly, we observed that student research involvement increased college-wide during the award period. These data suggest that the summer fellows program is successfully meeting National Institutes of Health IDeA goals and serving as a pipeline to future health research careers and a scientifically trained Idaho workforce.
- Published
- 2021
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