>> WELL, HELLO.
I'M MARIE BERNARD, I WANT TO
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR
TODAY'S SEMINAR TITLED HOW ARE
FOSTER CULTURES OF INCLUSIVE
EXCELLENCE.
A SCIENTIFIC ENTERPRISE THAT
EMBRACES INDIVIDUALS WITH
DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES AND
EXPERIENCES PRODUCES MORE
INNOVATIVE AND IMPACTFUL
RESEARCH.
TO FULLY REALIZE THE BENEFITS OF
A DIVERSE WORK FORCE
INSTITUTIONS MUST CHAMPION D
BELONGING ENGAGEMENT AND SUCCESS
OF ALL SCIENTISTS.
EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT INCLUSIVE
INSTITUTIONS ENABLE RESEARCHERS
TO REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL
AND ADVANCE SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE
AND DISCOVERY.
IN THIS SEMINAR WE WILL DISCUSS
EVIDENCE-INFORMED STRATEGIES,
EXAMINE CHALLENGES INSTITUTIONS
MAY ENCOUNTER BUILDING INCLUSION
AND EXPLORE METHODS FOR
ASSESSING INSTITUTIONAL CULTURAL
CHANGE.
BEFORE WE DIVE INTO TODAY'S
TOPIC I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO
ACKNOWLEDGE THE EVER SHIFTING
DEIA LANDSCAPE THAT CAN MAKE OUR
ENVIRONMENT CHALLENGING, BUT
BEFORE DOING THAT, MAYBE I'LL
LET US LOOK AT OUR VIDEO, THE
COSWD VIDEO THAT ILLUSTRATES THE
POINTS I WAS JUST MAKING.
AS THEY SAY, A PICTURE IS WORTH
A THOUSAND WORDS.
LET'S LOOK AT THE VIDEO FIRST
AND THEN TALK ABOUT THE DEIA
ENVIRONMENT.
>> IT IS SMOOTH AND SHARP.
IT IS A SPEAR.
>> NO.
IT IS A WALL.
>> IT IS MOST DEFINITELY A FAN,
A HUGE FAN.
>> SCIENCE RELIES ON THE
CONTRIBUTIONS OF DIFFERENT
PERSPECTIVES.
THE MISSION OF THE OFFICE OF THE
CHIEF OFFICER FOR SCIENTIFIC
WORKFORCE DIVERSITY IS TO BRING
VARIED POINTS OF VIEW IN THE
WORK OF NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF
HEALTH IN BIOMEDICAL AND
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH RESEARCH.
A STUDY OF 2 MILLION PAPERS SHOW
PEOPLE REPRESENTING DISTINCT
BACKGROUNDS PUBLISHED MORE
WIDELY CITED RESEARCH,
GENERATING IMPROVED SCIENCE,
WHICH LEADS TO GREATER
DISCOVERIES.
BECAUSE GREAT MINDS THINK
DIFFERENTLY, BUT TOGETHER
DIFFERENT MINDS ACCOMPLISH EVEN
GREATER THINGS.
>> AS I SAID, A PICTURE IS WORTH
A THOUSAND WORDS.
HOPEFULLY THAT WAS HELPFUL TO
YOU IN ACTUALIZING WHAT WE'VE
TALKED ABOUT AND THE EVIDENCE
WE'VE SHARED IN PREVIOUS
SESSIONS AND THERE WILL BE MORE
TO SUPPORT THAT DURING THIS
SESSION AS WELL.
AS I WAS BEGINNING TO SAY,
HOWEVER, WE ARE IN AN
ENVIRONMENT THAT IS EVER
SHIFTING AND IT IS MAKING THINGS
CHALLENGING.
WE HAVE HAD RECURRENT CALLS
ADDRESSING GROWING LEGISLATIVE
BARRIERS TO DEIA WORK.
I WILL SAY NIH ADHERES TO
APPLICABLE FEDERAL LAW, HOWEVER
CHALLENGES AT THE STATE LEVEL
MUST BE ADDRESSED BY INDIVIDUAL
INSTITUTIONS BASED ON THEIR
STATE LAWS.
SO WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF THE EVIDENCE THAT
WE ARE DISSEMINATING REGARDING
WHY DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES ARE
IMPORTANT AND WHILE WE WILL NOT
SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS STATE DEIA
LAWS DURING TODAY'S DISCUSSION,
I HOPE THE GENERALIZED
PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES WILL
INVIGORATE YOU AND PROVIDE FRESH
PERSPECTIVES TO NAVIGATE ONGOING
AND NEW CHALLENGES.
WITH THAT SAID, WE'RE GOING TO
GO ON -- I'M DISRUPTING
EVERYTHING FOR MY TEAM.
WE'RE GOING TO GO ON AND TALK
ABOUT TODAY'S SEMINAR.
THESE SWDSS SESSIONS ADD TO THE
EVIDENCE FROM WHICH WE WORK.
I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT WE
RECENTLY HOSTED A SEMINAR ON THE
IMPACT OF DIVERSITY ON
INNOVATION AND TEAM SCIENCE
THROUGH PARTNERSHIP OF OUR
COLLEAGUES ACROSS THE POND AT
THE UC INNOVATION AND RESEARCH
GROUP.
THE PROCEEDINGS WILL BE
AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE SOON.
I'M DELIGHTED TO INTRODUCE A
STAR-SPANGLED GROUP OF FOUR WHO
WILL BE SHARING THEIR EXPERTISE
IN ADVANCING INSTITUTIONAL
CHANGE TO SUPPORT EQUITY AND
INCLUSION.
WE HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF HEARING
FROM ALISON GAMMIE, DR. LEA
VACCA MICHEL, ONE OF THE 10
INSTITUTIONS THAT RECEIVED THE
DEIA PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN
THIS SPACE.
ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF
TECHNOLOGY, IN PARTICULAR, HAS
DONE A WONDERFUL JOB OF
ENHANCING THE ENVIRONMENT TO
FOSTER INCLUSION AND BELONGING
FOR DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING
POPULATIONS.
SHE WILL BE TALKING A BIT ABOUT
THAT.
DR. ELIZABETH OFILI, FROM
MOREHOUSE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND
DR. BLANTON TOLBERT.
TO ACCESS A COPY OF THE SPEAKER
SLIDES VISIT OUR WEBSITE
DIVERSITY.NIH.GOV.
YOU WILL SEE IN THE MIDDLE OF
THE LANDING PAGE THE VIDEO WE
SHOWED WITH THE ELEPHANT, IF YOU
ARE INTERESTED IN THAT.
A RECORDING OF THE EVENT WILL BE
POSTED TO OUR WEBSITE WITHIN THE
NEXT SEVERAL DAYS AND ALL
REGISTRANTS WILL RECEIVE A
FOLLOW-UP E-MAIL WITH A LINK TO
THE RECORDING.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SUBMIT A
QUESTION FOR THE SPEAKERS,
LEVERAGE THE Q&A ON THE TOOL
BAR.
WE WILL NOT HAVE TO ADDRESS ALL
THE QUESTIONS.
IF YOU REQUIRE TECHNICAL SUPPORT
PLEASE E-MAIL OUR HOST AT THE
E-MAIL ADDRESS SHOWN HERE.
MY TEAM WILL POST THE LINK AND
THE E-MAIL ADDRESS IN THE CHAT
BOX.
BEFORE WE TRANSITION TO OUR
PANEL PRESENTATIONS, WE WILL ASK
EVERYONE TO COMPLETE A BRIEF
POLL SO WE CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT
WHO IS IN THE AUDIENCE.
WE WILL GIVE YOU 30 SECONDS TO
RESPOND.
I THINK THE POLL IS UP.
>> OKAY.
SO 30 SECONDS ARE DOEB.
THE FIRST QUESTION IS ON A SCALE
OF 1-5, HOW DO YOU RATE YOUR
INSTITUTION'S EFFORTS TO PROMOTE
INCLUSIVE PRACTICES?
IT IS PRETTY SPLIT.
ABOUT 33% FOR EFFECTIVE, 32%
SOMEWHAT EFFECTIVE, 22% NEITHER
EFFECTIVE OR NOT EFFECTIVE.
7% EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE AND 7%
NOT EFFECTIVE.
IT IS REALLY RIGHT IN THE
MIDDLE.
THE SECOND QUESTION, WHEN
LEADERS FOSTER INCLUSION AT
THEIR INSTITUTION, WHAT DO OWE
SUE AS THE BEST OUTCOME?
70% CREATES A MORE WELCOMING AND
ATTRACTIVE ACADEMIC ENVIRONMENT.
25% PR GRAUDEN CAREER
ADVANCEMENTS FOR FACULTY AND
STUDENTS.
SO THANK YOU.
THIS IS HELPFUL AS WE ENGAGE
FURTHER WITH YOU.
SO I THINK WE ARE NOW AT A POINT
WHERE I CAN INTRODUCE OUR
SPEAKERS.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS DR. LEA
VACCA MICHEL.
DR. MICHEL IS A PROFESSOR IN
CHEMICAL AND MATERIAL SCIENCE AT
THE ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF
TECHNOLOGY AND THE DIRECTOR OF
DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION
FOR THE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE.
SHE HELPED THOSE WHO ARE DEAF
AND HARD OF HEARING IN SCIENCE
AND MATH AND PROGRAMS FOR RIT,
IN THE MAXIMIZING ACCESS
COMMITTEE.
DR. MICHEL.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
SO TODAY I WILL BE TALKING
ABOUT -- FOCUSED ON PUTTING THE
A BACK INTO DEIA.
AND SO FOCUSING ON ACCESSIBILITY
AND DISABILITY INCLUSION AT RIT.
TO GIVE YOU CONTEXT, THE
ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF
TECHNOLOGY.
WE HAVE NINE COLLEGES.
ONE IS A NATIONAL TECHNICAL
INSTITUTE FOR THE DEAF, WHICH
WAS THE FIST AND LARGEST
TECHNOLOGICAL COLLEGES IN THE
WORLD FOR DEAF AND HARD OF
HEARING S
HEARING STUDENTS.
WE HAVE OVER 1,000 DEAF AND HARD
OF HEARING STUDENTS WE WORK WITH
EVERY DAY, INCLUDING MANY AT THE
NTID.
BECAUSE OF THIS, WE HAVE AMAZING
SUPPORT INCLUDING INTERPRETERS
AND CAPTIONING.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS I WILL
BE FOCUSED ON TODAY IS THE
TRAINING OF OUR HEARING RESEARCH
MENTORS AND MAKING SURE THAT OUR
HEARING MENTORS AND PROFESSORS
ARE ABLE TO WORK WITH OUR DEAF
AND HARD OF HEARING STUDENTS AND
GIVING THEM THE BEST EXPERIENCE
POSSIBLE.
IN PARTICULAR, WE HAVE A PROGRAM
CALLED YOU RISE, AN NIH-FUNDED
TRAINING PROGRAM THAT SUPPORTS
DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING
STUDENTS WHO WANT TO MOVE ON AND
GET PH.D.s IN BIOMEDICAL
SCIENCES.
WE KNOW THIS IS REALLY
IMPORTANT.
OBVIOUSLY, IT IS IMPORTANT TO
SUPPORT ALL OF OUR 31% OR ALMO
THIRD OF OUR U.S. ADULT
POPULATION REPORTS HEARING LOSS
TO SOME EXTENT.
WHEREAS .38% OF ALL PIs ON NIH
AWARDS REPORT A HEARING
DISABILITY.
OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS A DEFINITION
OF SEVERELY UNDERREPRESENTED.
ONE OF THE MISSIONS OF THE YOU
RISE PROGRAM AT RIT AND WORK IN
THE DEIA SPACE IS DIVERSIFY THE
BIOMEDICAL WORKFORCE BY
PREPARING OUR DEAF AND HARD OF
HEARING STUDENTS FOR NOT JUST
SCIENCE JOBS, BUT HIGHER
EDUCATION.
OF COURSE, THERE ARE MANY
BARRIERS TO THIS INCLUDING JUST
A FEW OF THE THINGS I HAVE
MENTIONED HERE ON THIS SLIDE.
POOR SCIENCE IDENTITY, LACK OF
THAT SENSE OF BELONGING,
CULTURAL STIGMAS, AND POOR
MENTORING.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE REALLY
FOCUS ON AT RIT AND THE COLLEGE
OF SCIENCE IS HOW CAN WE TRAIN
OUR SCIENCE RESEARCHERS AND
MENTORS ON HOW TO BE A BETTER
MENTOR FOR OUR DEAF STUDENTS?
SO I HAVE JUST FIVE EXAMPLES OF
SOME OF THE THINGS WE TALK ABOUT
IN SOME OF THESE KIND OF
TRAINING WORKSHOPS AND MENTORING
PROGRAM SO I WILL GO THROUGH
THOSE PRETTY QUICKLY.
THE FIRST ONE IS STRUCTURE.
AND BY THE WAY, I'M FOCUSING MY
TALK ON MAKING THE EXPERIENCE
BETTER FOR DEAF AND HARD OF
HEARING STUDENTS, AND WE HOPE
THIS WILL MAKE THINGS ACCESSIBLE
AND MORE WELCOMING TO ALL OF OUR
STUDENTS R, ESPECIALLY STUDENTS
WITH ANY COMMUNICATION BARRIER.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE ENCOURAGE
OUR MENTORS TO DO IS TO MAKE
SURE THAT THERE'S AS MUCH
STRUCTURE AS POSSIBLE IN A
RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT.
OBVIOUSLY, RESEARCH IS VERY
OFTENTIMES FREE FLOWING AND
SCHEDULING THINGS CAN BE
SOMEWHAT DIFFICULT BECAUSE, YOU
KNOW, SOMETIMES EXPERIMENTS WORK
AND SOMETIMES THEY DON'T.
THE MORE WE CAN SCHEDULE THINGS
IN ADVANCE AND HELP PREPARE OUR
STUDENTS IN ADVANCE THE BETTER.
THIS INCLUDES HAVING DETAILED
PROTOCOLS.
OFTENTIMES VIDEO PROTOCOLS THE
STUDENTS CAN PLAY OVER AND OVER
AGAIN THAT ARE CAPTIONED THAT
ALLOW THOSE STUDENTS TO BETTER
PREPARE FOR WHEN THEY ARE IN THE
LAB.
WE ENCOURAGE OUR MENTORS HAVE A
RESEARCH SYLLABUS, SO THIS IS
SOMETHING WHERE WE HAVE SYLLABI,
WE ARE USED TO HAVING SYLLABI IN
OUR CLASSROOMS THAT OUTLINE
EXPECTATIONS FOR OUR STUDENTS.
HAVING SOMETHING IN THE RESEARCH
SPACE IS REALLY, REALLY SUPER
HELPFUL AS WELL.
WE WANT THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
TO BE SAFE AND CONDUCIVE TO
COMMUNICATION FOR OUR DEAF
STUDENTS.
WE HAVE ALL SEEN LABS THAT LOOK
LIKE THIS, UNFORTUNATELY,
SOMETIMES WE CAN'T HELP IT, BUT
AS MUCH AS WE CAN WHEN WE HAVE
OUR DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING
STUDENTS IN THE LAB SPACE, WE
WANT TO DECLUTTER AND GET RID OF
OBSTACLES OR PHYSICAL BARRIERS
AT THE EYE LEVEL, FOR SAFETY AND
IN GENERAL FOR COMMUNICATION.
MOST OF OUR DEAF STUDENTS
COMMUNICATE VISUALLY.
WE HAVE THINGS IN THE LAB SUCH
AS MICROPHONES, MOVABLE WHITE
BOARDS, ANYTHING WHERE WE CAN
FACILITATE VISUAL COMMUNICATION.
I WOULD SAY NUMBER THREE IS ONE
OF THE MORE IMPORTANT THINGS
THAT WE DO AT RIT, WHICH IS
REALLY ENCOURAGING OUR MENTORS
TO HAVE CULTURAL COMPETENCY.
SO LEARNING ABOUT DEAF CULTURE
AND IF WE CAN, IF WE HAVE TIME,
LEARNING BASIC AMERICAN SIGN
LANGUAGE.
SO AS AN EXAMPLE ONE OF THE
THINGS I DO IN MY CLASSROOMS AND
A NUMBER OF PROFESSORS AT RIT DO
IN OUR CLASSROOMS IS WE TEACH
ALL OF OUR STUDENTING, HEARING
STUDENTS INCLUDED SOME BASICS,
INCLUDING A, B, AND C SIGNS AND
1, 2, 3 NUMBERS.
THIS WAY WHEN WE ARE ASKING
QUESTIONS, ENGAGING STUDENTS
ABOUT THE SCIENCE LESSON AND WE
GIVE THEM THREE DIFFERENT
OPTIONS, WHICH AMINO ACID IS
THIS?
IS IT NUMBER ONE, TWO, OR THREE,
AND THEY CAN RESPOND IN AMERICAN
SIGN LANGUAGE WHICH HELPS OUR
DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING
STUDENTS FEEL A LITTLE MORE OF
THE SENSE OF BELONGING.
OBVIOUSLY, COMMUNICATION IS
REALLY IMPORTANT.
THERE IS A LOT OF DIFFERENT
TECHNOLOGIES.
THERE IS A VOICE TO TEXT
APPLICATIONS THAT WE CAN USE.
SO THAT'S REALLY GREAT THAT WE
ARE ABLE TO USE THOSE TO BETTER
COMMUNICATE WITH OUR STUDENTS.
IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO
REMEMBER, THINGS, EVEN IF WE
HAVE AN INTERPRETER OR
CAPTIONIST, THE MAJORITY OF THEM
DON'T HAVE A SCIENCE BACKGROUND.
WE HAVE TO BE UNDERSTANDING OF
THIS.
THAT SOMETIMES THINGS GET LOST
IN TRANSLATION OR THERE IS
MISCOMMUNICATION.
AND SO REALLY BEING COGNIZANT OF
THAT WHEN WE ARE WORKING WITH
OUR DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING
STUDENTS.
AND THEN FINALLY, MINDSET.
SO INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON THE
MEDICAL MODEL OF DISABILITY,
WHICH FOCUSES ON THE PERSON, THE
INDIVIDUAL WITH THE IMPAIRMENT,
OR THE PROBLEM OR THE
SHORTCOMINGS, INSTEAD WE CAN
FOCUS AND USE MORE OF A SOCIAL
MODEL OF DISABILITY WHERE REALLY
WE ARE FOCUSED ON WHAT ARE THE
BARRIERS WE CAN REMOVE?
WHAT ARE THE THINGS WE CAN DO TO
MAKE SURE ALL OF OUR STUDENTS
HAVE EQUAL ACCESSIBILITY TO WHAT
WE ARE TRYING TO TEACH THEM, TO
RESEARCH, AND TO SCIENCE IN
GENERAL?
JUST IN MY LAST 30 SECONDS I
WILL JUST SAY WHEN I STARTED AT
RI T ABOUT 16 YEARS AGO, THERE
WERE VERY DEAF STUDENTING GOING
ON TO GET HIGHER DEGREES.
AND NOW WE HAVE 16 YEARS LATER
WE HAVE SO MANY MORE WHO ARE
GOING ON AND GETTING HIGHER
DEGREES.
I HAVE EXAMPLES OF JUST MY
RESEARCH STUDENTS ALONE WHO ARE
DEAF AND THEY'VE EARNED MORE
THAN 15 HAWAIIER DEGREES.
THIS IS DR. AMIE SONKOH, THE
FIRST DEAF WOMAN TO EARN A STEM
DOCTORATE.
WE HAVE SO MUCH MORE TO GO.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
I WILL TURN IT OVER.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
IT WAS A VERY NICE SUCCINCT
SUMMARY OF SOME OF THIS THINGS
YOU HAVE BEEN DOING.
WE WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO
EXPLORE FURTHER.
I WOULD LIKE TO TURN TO DR.
BLANTON TOLBERT, THE HOWARD
HUGHES MEDICAL INSTITUTE CENTER
FOR ADVANCE ASSIGNMENT SCIENCE
AND CULTURE, HE DIRECTING
PROGRAMS AT THE UNDERGRADUATE
AND GRADUATE LEVEL TO PROVIDE
CULTURALLY AWARE MENTORSHIP, TO
MAINTAIN INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENTS
AND ACTIVITIES TO DEVELOP
STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS.
EHE IS PROFESSOR OF BIOKEMICES
AND BIOPHYSICS AT UNIVERSITY OF
PENNSYLVANIA.
DR. TOLBERT.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.
THANK YOU, DR. BERNARD, FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT IN THIS
SEMINAR SERIES.
I WANT TO ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE THE
PANELISTS AND DELIGHTED TO HAVE
THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE WITH
THEM.
IT IS ALSO PRETTY NICE TO SEE MY
COLLEAGUE DR. MICHEL IN THIS
ROLE.
WE WERE CLASSMATES IN GRADUATE
SCHOOL SO IT IS NICE TO SEE A
CONVERGENCE OR RECONVERGENCE OF
OUR EFFORTS IN THE SPACE.
I WILL TALK ABOUT THE MEDICAL
INSTITUTE IN BROADENING
PARTICIPATION AND MAKING SURE
ENVIRONMENTS, CLASSROOM,
RESEARCH SPACES ARE MORE
INCLUSIVE AND SUCH THAT ALL
PEOPLE CAN REALLY THRIVE AND
BELONG AND EXPERIENCE THE RICH
BENEFITS OF SCIENCE.
SO WE HAVE THREE MAJOR AREAS
THAT WE FOCUS ON.
DISCOVERY SCIENCE, AND THIS IS
REALLY WHERE WE MAKE INVESTMENTS
IN OUR SCIENTISTS, RIGHT, TO
GIVE THEM THE RESOURCES AND THE
COMMUNITY TO REALLY LEAD
SCIENTIFIC BREAK THROUGHS.
WE SAY THAT WE INVEST IN PEOPLE,
NOT PROJECTS AT HHMI.
THIS IS ONE OF THE AREAS WE'RE
VERY MUCH FOCUSED ON.
THE OTHER AREA IS ABOUT
RESHAPING RESEARCH CULTURE, THAT
REALLY RELATED TO THE TOPIC OF
TODAY.
THIS IS ABOUT HOW DO WE EMBED
EQUITY AND INCLUSION IN OUR
DEFINITIONS OF SCIENTIFIC
EXCELLENCE?
THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT, RIGHT?
WE ARE SAYING THAT SCIENTIFIC
EXCELLENCE IS NOT JUST ABOUT THE
OUTPUTS, THE PRODUCTS THAT WE
PRODUCE IN RESEARCH LABS, BUT IT
IS ALSO ABOUT HOW WE MENTOR, HOW
WE TRAIN, HOW WE PROMOTE THE
CAREER DEVELOPMENT FOR ALL
INDIVIDUALS REGARDLESS OF THEIR
BACKGROUNDS.
AND THEN I WOULD SAY THE THIRD
PARTY AREA IS ABOUT HOW DO WE
SHARE, IN A BROADER SENSE, THE
SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERS WE ARE
MAKING WITH THE BROADER PUBLIC.
WE DO THIS IN A NUMBER OF
FORMATS.
WE SHARE CONTENT IN THE
CLASSROOM.
WE SHARE CONTENT AS IT RELATES
TO MAKING SHORT FILMS AND
DOCUMENTARIES.
THIS IS, AGAIN, AN AREA WHERE WE
WANT TO MAKE SURE MORE OF THE
BROADER PUBLIC ARE EXPERIENCING
THE SCIENTIFIC ADVANCEMENTS HAVE
FOR EVERYONE.
AT HHMI WE HAVE A UNIQUE
OPPORTUNITY TO INFLUENCE THE
ACADEMIC SCIENCE PATHWAY FROM
PRECOLLEGE ALL THE WAY THROUGH
TO LAB HEADS.
AND SO AN AREA WE FOCUS ON QUITE
A BIT IS HOW DO WE MAKE SURE
THAT WE ARE UPSCALING SCIENCE
EDUCATORS, RIGHT?
IN HIGH SCHOOL SPACES AND
COMMUNITY COLLEGES.
WHAT OPPORTUNITIES ARE WE GIVING
UNDERGRADUATES, GRADUATE
STUDENTS AND POST DOCTORAL
FELLOWS TO MAKE SURE THEY CAN
REACH THEIR PROFESSIONAL
SCIENTIFIC GOALS.
WE ARE FOCUSED ON EARLY CAREER
SCIENTISTS AND ESTABLISHED
SCIENTISTS TO PROVIDE THE
RESOURCES AND COMMUNITY THEY
NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND TO
CONTINUE TO LEAD WITH SCIENTIFIC
BREAK THROUGHS AND ADVANCEMENTS.
SO WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PROGRAMS
THAT SUPPORT OUR SCIENTISTS.
YOU MIGHT BE FAMILIAR WITH THE
INVESTIGATORS PROGRAM.
HERE YOU CAN SEE ON THIS SLIDE
THE QUALIFICATIONS IF YOU WILL,
AS IT RELATES TO ENTER INTO
THESE PROGRAMS AND THE AMOUNT OF
SUPPORT WE PROVIDE.
I'M NOT GOING TO SPEND THAT MUCH
TIME ON THIS PARTICULAR SLIDE
BECAUSE I WANT TO FOCUS THE REST
OF THE CONVERSATION ON THE
FREEMAN HRABOWSKI SCHOLARS
PROGRAM, DESIGNED TO SUPPORT
EARLY CAREER SCIENTISTS THAT
JUST STARTED THEIR CAREERS, WE
ARE PROVIDING SUPPORT UP TO FIVE
YEARS AND OPPORTUNITY TO RENEW
FOR A SECOND FIVE YEARS.
THIS PROGRAM IS MANAGED BY MY
COLLEAGUES IN SCIENCE, LESLIE
VOSSHALL WITH HER TEAM STEVEN
SMALI AND MARY BONDS.
I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THIS
PROGRAM, BUT THIS IS A PROGRAM
DRIVEN BY MY COLLEAGUES IN
SCIENCE.
I THINK MOST PEOPLE ON THE ZOOM
ARE VERY MUCH FAMILIAR WITH DR.
FREEMAN HRABOWSKI.
THIS IS NAMED IN HIS HONOR.
DR. HRABOWSKI WAS PRESIDENT
AFTER THE UNIVERSITY OF
MARYLAND, BALTIMORE COUNTY FOR
30 YEARS.
HE TRANSFOMED AN INSTITUTION.
HE DEVELOPED A MEYERHOFF
SCHOLARS PROGRAM FOR INDIVIDUALS
COMMITTED TO ADVANCING EQUITY
AND INCLUSION IN SCIENCE.
IT STARTED WITH UNDERGRADS
COMING THROUGH MAKING SURE THEY
HAVE ENVIRONMENTS WHERE THEY
COULD ACTUALLY BE SUCCESSFUL.
SO THAT TYPE OF PROGRAM
TRANSFORMED THE INSTITUTIONAL
CULTURE.
RIGHT?
THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS WE ARE
TALKING ABOUT.
HOW DO YOU TRANSFORM INSTITUTAL
CULTURE?
SO THE FREEMAN HRABOWSKI
SCHOLARS PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO
DO THAT IN PART, IN THE SPIRIT
OF WHAT DR. HRABOWSKI WAS ABLE
TO ACCOMPLISH AT UMBC.
WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT?
WE WANT THEM TO BE OUTSTANDING
RESEARCHERS, RIGHT?
WE WANT THEM TO BE LEADING THE
NEXT GENERATIONS OF SCIENTIFIC
RESEARCH.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THESE
INDIVIDUALS HAVE A COMMITMENT TO
EQUITY AND INCLUSION.
THE REALITY IS WHEN THEY ARE
RUNNING THEIR OWN RESEARCH LABS
THEY ARE GOING TO BE PROVIDING
MENTORING OPPORTUNITIES AND
EXPERIENCES FOR PEOPLE FROM ALL
DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS.
SO THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THESE
INDIVIDUALS UNDERSTAND WHAT IT
MEANS TO BE MARGINALIZED IN STEM
AND IN TERMS OF THE SYSTEMIC
EXCLUSION THAT HAS PERSISTED AT
ACADEMIC CAMPUSES THROUGHOUT THE
INSTITUTION.
THE PROGRAM'S STRUCTURE IS SHOWN
HERE.
THE SCHOLARS ARE APPOINTED AS
HHMI EMPLOYEES.
THEY HAVE THESE APPOINTMENTS
INITIALLY FOR FIVE-YEAR TERMS
THAT CAN BE RENEWABLE.
YOU CAN SEE THE GENEROUS AMOUNT
OF SUPPORT WE PROVIDE THEM, NOT
ONLY IN TERMS OF SCHOLARSHIP BUT
SALARY AND BENEFITS AS WELL.
I'M GOING TO SKIP THROUGH
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS IN THE
SAKE OF TIME.
I WANT TO GO ON TO WHAT I'M
GOING TO SAY ARE SOME OF THE
INNOVATION IN APPLICATION
COMPONENTS.
WE ARE LOOKING FOR SCIENTIFIC --
WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO WHEN
THEY HAVE THEIR OWN RESEARCH
LABS?
WHAT ARE THE BURNING QUESTIONS
THEY WANT TO ANSWER?
LASTLY, HOW ARE THEY THINKING
ABOUT ADVANCING CULTURE AND
CLIMATE WITHIN THEIR RESEARCH
SPACES.
SO DETAILING THE SELECTION
PROCESS HERE, YOU CAN FIND MORE
INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE, BUT
WHAT I REALLY WANT TO JUMP TO
ARE THESE QUESTIONS AROUND
CLIMATE AND CULTURE.
BECAUSE THIS IS AN INNOVATION
FOR US.
SO WE'RE ASKING THESE NARRATIVE
STATEMENTS.
WE WANT APPLICANTS TO DESCRIBE
TO US WHAT IS YOUR PERSONAL
EXPERIENCE AS IT RELATES TO
SYSTEMIC INEQUITIES AND
INCLUSION IN SCIENCE?
THIS COULD BE LIVED EXPERIENCE
OR OTHER.
WE WANT TO KNOW CAN YOU GIVE US
CONCRETE EXAMPLES OF THINGS YOU
WORK TOWARDS TO IMPROVE EQUITY
AND INCLUSION IN SCIENCE.
WE WANT TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR
MENTORING STYLE.
HOW ARE YOU GOING TO BUILD
COLLABORATIVE TEAMS?
LASTLY, WE WANT TO KNOW ABOUT
CHALLENGES YOU MIGHT HAVE
EXPERIENCED AS RELATES TO
MENTORING.
MY TIME IS UP.
I WANT TO CLOSE BY SHARING THIS
PICTURE, AND DR. BERNARD SAID A
PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND
WORDS.
THIS IS OUR FIRST COHORT, YOU
CAN SEE THEY REPRESENT DIVERSITY
IN MANY DIFFERENT DIMENSIONS.
THANK YOU FOR THIS TIME AND I
LOOK FORWARD TO ANY QUESTIONS
YOU MIGHT HAVE.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, DR.
TOLBERT.
I'M GLAD YOU TALKED ABOUT THE
HRABOWSKI SCHOLARS.
DR. FREEMAN HRABOWSKI WAS
UNPARALLELED AND TO HAVE HIM
HONORED IN THAT FASHION, SIM
SURE HE IS REALLY GRATEFUL.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ELIZABETH
OFILI.
SHE IS THE CONTACT PRINCIPLE
INVESTIGATOR FOR THE
COORDINATION AND EVALUATION
CENTER FOR THE FACULTY
INSTITUTIONAL RECRUITMENT FOR
SUSTAINABLE TRANSFORMATION OR
FIRST INITIATIVE, AND RESEARCH
PROGRAM CO-OFRD NATION.
SHE IS PRINCIPLE INVESTIGATOR
FOR NATIONAL MENTORING NETWORK
AND ONE OF SEVERAL PIs FOR THE
NATIONAL SCIENCE.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, DR.
BERNARD FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO
PRESENT THE WORK.
SO THE FACULTY INSTITUTIONAL
RECRUITMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE
TRANSFORMATION, NOW REFERRED TO
AS FIRST, HAS A NUMBER OF GOALS
AND I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO
START WITH THIS PARTICULAR
PROGRAM BECAUSE IT IS ONE THAT
NIH THOUGHT THROUGH AND REALLY
WANTED TO LOOK AT THIS COHORT
MODEL OF HIRING AND HOW THAT
WOULD ALLOW YOUNG FACULTY COMING
IN TO HAVE A BETTER SENSE OF
BELONGING WITHIN ACADEMIC
INSTITUTIONS.
AS I'LL SHARE IN A FEW SLIDES,
15 OF THOSE INSTITUTIONS,
INCLUDING TWO PARTNERING
INSTITUTIONS HAVE BEEN FUNDED.
THE GOAL OF THE COHORT AWARDEES
ARE REALLY FOCUSED ON CULTURE
CHANGE FOR INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE,
WORKING THROUGH WITH A DIVERSE
FACULTY, AND ALSO DEVELOPING
FACULTY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS TO
SUPPORT THESE FACULTY.
THE COORDINATION AND EVALUATION
CENTER AT MOOREHOUSE MEDICINE IS
TASKED WITH COMMUNICATION AND
COORDINATION AND EVALUATION
WHICH IS DRIVEN BY COMMON
METRICS AND COMMON DATA ELEMENTS
AS WELL AS OBVIOUSLY THEM
LEADING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO
HOPEFULLY DISSEMINATE THIS.
SNEEZE ARE THE COHORTS.
THIS WAS A MODEL ACROSS THREE
DIFFERENT COHORTS.
COHORT ONE, TWO, AND THREE.
COHORT THREE WERE JUST ONBOARDED
A LITTLE UNDER A YEAR AGO.
SO AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THIS
REQUIRES A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF
COLLABORATION.
AND I AM JUST PLEASED TO
ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING
HERE, WHICH IS OUR LOGIC MODEL,
CLEARLY TOOK A LOT OF WORK, A
LOT OF EFFORT WORKING ACROSS ALL
OF OUR INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE
FUNDED.
I SHOULD POINT OUT THAT EACH
INSTITUTION ACTUALLY HAS ITS OWN
PROGRAM LOGIC MODEL THAT IT
DESIGNED TO ANSWER SPECIFIC
HYPOTHESIS-DRIVEN QUESTIONS.
AND THE COORDINATION AND
EVALUATION CENTER IS TASKED
LOOKING MORE GLOBALLY AT ALL OF
THESE INSTITUTIONS.
WE USE WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE AN
INNOVATIVE MODEL, WHAT IS A
REALIST EVALUATION FRAMEWORK.
THESE INSTITUTIONS ARE ALL
DIFFERENT.
SOME ARE RESEARCH INTENSIVE.
SOME ARE NOT.
THEY ARE WITH DIFFERENT CONTEXT.
OUR GOAL WAS TO LOOK AT NOT JUST
THE RESOURCES WITH THE INPUTS,
THE IMPLEMENTATION AND OUTCOMES,
BUT INTEGRATING SOME OF THE
SPECIFIC ENVIRONMENT AND CONTEXT
WITHIN EACH INSTITUTION.
SO I'M NOT GOING TO GO OVER THIS
IN DETAIL, OTHER THAN TO JUST
POINT OUT THAT THE GOALS ARE
INTEGRATED AS PART OF THIS LOGIC
MODEL.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT IS
WHAT IS AT THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE,
WHAT IS LOOKING AT INSTITUTIONAL
TRANSFORMATION.
HOW WE GET THERE AND HOW WE
POTENTIALLY COULD DISSEMINATE IS
REALLY LOOKING AT, OBVIOUSLY,
THE INPUTS, THE ACTIVITIES, SOME
OF THESE INPUTS IN TERMS OF THE
APPLICANT POOL AND WHO IS COMING
IN AS FIRST FACULTY.
SOME OF THE OUTCOMES.
SOME ARE STANDARD PUBLICATIONS,
GRANT FUNDING.
WE WANTED TO DIG IN AND LOOK AT
PROCESS MEASURES.
WE ARE EXCITED, WE ARE PRETTY
MUCH AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS
PROCESS.
I WON'T DWELL ON ALL THE METRICS
WE HAVE AND DATA ELEMENTS, THERE
ARE A LARGE INFORM NUMBER OF
THEM, I WANT TO SPEND TIME ON
THE C-CHANGE, WHICH IS A
FACULTY -- SOMETHING HAPPENED TO
MY SHARE.
SORRY ABOUT THAT.
THE C-CHANGE DIMENSIONS OF
CULTURE.
I HAVE SOME REFERENCES IN THERE
AND YOU GUYS WILL HAVE ACCESS TO
THE SLIDES.
WE SELECTED THIS PARTICULAR
MEASURE FOR THE GLOBAL
ASSESSMENT BECAUSE THERE ARE
MULT
MUL
MULTIPLE ELEMENTS THAT LOOK AT
INCLUSION AND OTHER WAYS FACULTY
CONSIDER WHETHER OR NOT THEY
BELONG.
INCLUDING ETHICAL AND MORAL
DISSTRESS, VALUES ALIGNMENTS AND
SOME OF THE ASPECTS OF MENTORING
SPECIFICALLY.
WE ALSO OBVIOUSLY LOOK AT THEIR
PERCEPTIONS AROUND EQUITY,
WORK/LIFE BALANCE AND SO ON, AS
YOU CAN SEE HERE.
SO WE BELIEVE IN LOOKING AT THIS
OVERALL PROCESS THAT WE WOULD
COME OUT WITH HOPEFULLY SOME
METRICS ACROSS ALL OF THESE 15
INSTITUTIONS.
I WILL SHARE THE WEBSITE FOR THE
FIRST PROGRAM AT THE END OF MY
PRESENTATION.
I ENCOURAGE YOU INCLUDING GOING
TO THE NIH WEBSITE WHICH TALKS
ABOUT HOW THIS CAME ABOUT AND
THE WORK THAT WENT INTO COMING
UP WITH A COHORT MODEL AND ALSO
TO SEE HOW THESE INSTITUTIONS
ARE RECRUITING FACULTY, WHAT
KIND OF RESEARCH AREAS THE
FACULTY HAVE.
I THINK THAT WILL BE INSTRUCTIVE
IN TERMS OF NOT JUST THE
AMBITIOUSNESS OF THIS PROGRAM,
BUT ALSO THE IMPORTANCE OF
CENTERING IT AROUND WHERE WE ARE
TODAY IN TERMS OF DIVERSITY AND
INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE, BUT ALSO
PROVIDING AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO
FORWARD WITH SOME CORE METRICS
OR COMMON METRICS THAT CAN
ACTUALLY LOOK AT, IN A
SCIENTIFIC WAY, THE EVALUATION.
THAT BRINGS ME TO THE ISSUE OF
DISSEMINATING AND SUSTAINING
THESE CULTURES OF INCLUSIVE
EXCELLENCE.
CLEARLY THIS TOPIC IS TO THINK
ABOUT THAT FROM THE STANDPOINT
OF NIH-FUNDED ACADEMIC
INSTITUTIONS.
IN THAT REGARD THE FIRST PROGRAM
WILL HAVE CONSORTIUM WIDE
DISSEMINATION PRODUCTS.
WE HAVE A LOT OF WORKING GRUKTS,
A LOT OF NIH ENGAGEMENT, PROJECT
SCIENCE, PROGRAM OFFICERS AND
THESE INSTITUTIONS WITH PIs AND
FACULTY DATA.
A LOT OF GROUPS WORKING
TOGETHER.
IT HAS BEEN VERY FAST PACED BUT
VERY REWARDING EXPERIENCE TO
DATE.
THESE ELEMENTS TO STANDARDIZE
CULTURE OF EXCELLENCE WE WILL
HAVE OUT THERE AS PART OF OUR
DISSEMINATION PRODUCTS AND IT
COMES UP THE ISSUE HOW WE
LEVERAGE NIH PROGRAMS THAT ARE
FUNDED TO DIVERSIFY THE
SCIENTIFIC WORKFORCE AND USE
THOSE POTENTIAL LARGE PROGRAMS
TO SHARE THESE EFFORTS.
I JUST WANT TO USE ONE EXAMPLE.
THIS HAPPENS TO BE ANOTHER
CONSORTIUM THAT IS ACTUALLY AT
MOREHOUSE, WHICH MOREHOUSE
SERVES AS A RESEARCH CENTER.
THIS IS AN OLDER PROGRAM AND
FUNDED, COMPETITIVELY FUNDED AND
RENEWED IF THEY CONTINUE TO SHOW
PROGRESS.
BUT THIS IS HELPFUL TO THINK
ABOUT BECAUSE AS YOU CAN SEE
FROM THAT PUBLICATION, WE
BELIEVE THE RCMI OFFERS AN
IMPORTANT TYPE OF A MODEL FOR
OUR EFFORTS TO DISSEMINATE SOME
OF WHAT IS COMING OUT OF FIRST.
PRIMARILY BECAUSE THIS IS A
CONSORTIUM THAT HAS A VERY MUCH
A SHARED VALUE BASED ON THE
HISTORIC REASONS THEY WERE
AWARDED, MANY OF THEM HBCUs,
NATIVE SERVING INSTITUTIONS,
HAWAII-PACIFIC ISLANDER
INSTITUTIONS.
WHAT I WANT TO POINT OUT HERE IS
THERE ARE OVER 2,227 AND
COUNTING INVESTIGATORS THAT ARE
WILLING TO PEARPTING IN
ADVANCING SOME OF THESE EFFORTS
WITH INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE.
JUST FOR YOUR INFORMATION, VERY
DIVERSE RESEARCH AREA CENTERED
ON HEALTH EQUITY.
THE METRICS IN TERMS OF RO1
FUNDING, THE GROUP HAS BEEN
EXTRAORDINARILY PRODUCTIVE.
AND I KNOW WE HAVE A SHORT
AMOUNT OF TIME, BUT I DO WANT TO
JUST TAKE A MOMENT TO
ACKNOWLEDGE THE FIRST
COORDINATION AND EVALUATION
CENTER TEAM AT MOREHOUSE SCHOOL
OF MEDICINE, THE FIRST HO HORT
INSTITUTIONS, 15 OF THEM AND THE
FIRST NIH PROGRAM OFFICERS AND
PROJECT SCIENTISTS, RCIM CON SOR
YUM INSTITUTIONS AND RCMI
COORDINATING CENTER AT
MOREHOUSE.
VISIT FIRKS-CEC.NET AND
RCMI-CC.ORG.
THANK YOU FOR LISTEN.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, DR. OFILI.
OUR COLLEAGUE FROM NIH, DR.
ALISON GAMMIE, WHOSE FORMAL
INTRUSION I MISPLACED.
DR. GAMMIE HAS BEEN A LONG TIME
COLLEGE, FROM PRINCETON
UNIVERSITY, A SENIOR LECTURER.
HAS BEEN AT NIH A LITTLE MORE
THAN EIGHT YEARS, IS LEADING A
LOT OF REALLY IMPORTANT PROGRAMS
FOR NIH AND HAS BEEN SUCH A
WONDERFUL PARTNER, PARTICULARLY
WITH THE DIVERSITY CONSORTIUM
PROGRAM.
ALISON, I BUTCHERED YOUR
INTRODUCTION.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE
MOSAIC PROGRAM TO HAVE BROAD
PARTICIPATION AT THE FACULTY
LEVEL.
IN KEEPING OF THE THEME OF THE
COSWOOD OFFICE, THIS IS AN
EVIDENCE-INFORMED PROGRAM.
THIS IS DATA THAT GOES BACK TO
2016 IN THE PUBLICATION IT
SHOWED THAT INDIVIDUALS FROM
UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS WERE
OBTAINING PH.D.s AT A LEVEL THAT
WAS EIGHT FOLD OVER WHAT WAS
SEEN IN 1980.
WE'VE SUBSEQUENTLY ADDED TO THIS
DATA AND SEE IT IS NOW A 12 FOLD
INCREASE COMPARED TO 1980.
HOWEVER, IF YOU LOOK AT THE
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR LEVEL YOU
DON'T SEE THE SAME INCREASE.
AND SO SOMETHING IS HAPPENING TO
INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE CHOOSING NOT
TO GO ON TO GET ACADEMIC
CAREERS.
AT THE SAME TIME IN 2016, WE
GATHERED OTHER DATA THAT WAS
SHOWING THAT PROGRAMS THAT WERE
SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO ENHANCE
DIVERSITY IN THE BIOMEDICAL
RESEARCH WORKFORCE WERE MUCH
MORE FOCUSED AT THE
UNDERGRADUATE OR PREDOCTORAL
LEVEL.
THERE WASN'T A LOT OF
PROGRAMMING AT THE POST DOC TO
FACULTY LEVEL.
AND FINALLY, JUST AS PART OF
DEVELOPMENT OF THE MOSAIC
PROGRAM, WE REALLY LOOKED INTO
THE LITERATURE TO SEE WHAT SORTS
OF THINGS, WHAT ARE FACTORS THAT
CONTRIBUTE TO EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS
TO PROMOTE BROAD PARTICIPATION.
SO THESE PROGRAMS PROVIDE
OVERSIGHT AND SUPPORT,
PARTICULARLY AT CRITICAL
TRANSITIONS.
THEY GIVE ADDITIONAL MENTORING,
COACHING AND SPONSORING,
ENCOURAGE SKILLS DEVELOPMENT,
PROVIDE ACTIVITIES THAT DEVELOP
SCIENCE IDENTITY AND
SELF-EFFICACY, CREATE A SENSE OF
BELONGING, BUILD SUPPORTIVE
COHORTS AND PROVIDE
OPPORTUNITIES TO ALIGN
PROFESSIONAL WORK WITH PERSONAL
VALUES.
WITH THIS INFORMATION IN MIND WE
CREATED THE MOSAIC PROGRAM TO
DESIGNED TO FACILITY PROGRESS
FROM POST DOCKET TO FACULTY.
ONE IS THE INSTITUTIONALLY
FOCUSED RESEARCH EDUCATION HUBS.
THIS IS A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT
SO NIH IS QUITE HEAVILY INVOLVED
IN THIS COMPONENT.
IT IS DESIGNED TO EQUIP THE
MOSAIC SCHOLARS WITH
PROFESSIONAL SKILLS AND GIVE
THEM THE APPROPRIATE MENTORING
AND PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS TO
ALLOW THEM TO TRANSITION INTO
ADVANCE AND SUCCEED IN
INDEPENDENT TENURE TRACK OR
INTENSIVE TUCKS CAREERS.
WE HAVE FOUR FUNDED OF THESE
EDUCATION HUBS THROUGH ASBMB,
AAMC, ASCB AND MORE RECENTLY
ASM.
SO THIS IS THE EDUCATIONAL
COMPONENT.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE SCHOLAR
COMPONENT, WHICH IS K99/R00, IT
IS CALLED THE PATHWAY TO
INDEPENDENCE AWARD.
THERE IS FUNDING AT THE POST
DOCTORAL LEVEL FOR CAREER
DEVELOPMENT IN RESEARCH.
AND THERE IS WHEN THE INDIVIDUAL
TRANSITIONS TO A TENURE TRACK OR
EQUIVALENT FACULTY POSITION,
THERE ARE FUNDS TO CONDUCT
RESEARCH.
SO THROUGH SEVERAL FUNDING
ANNOUNCEMENTS, DEPENDING ON
WHETHER THE SCHOLAR IS DOING
CLINICAL TRIALS, WORKING WITH
EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES INVOLVING
HUMANS OR JUST A BREADTH OF
BIOMEDICAL FIELDS, WE HAVE THREE
DIFFERENT FUNDING ANNOUNCEMENTS.
SO THEY SUBMIT APPLICATIONS FOR
THEIR POST DOCTORAL RESEARCH AND
CAREER DEVELOPMENT PLANS.
THAT IS THE K99 COMPONENT.
AND PLANS FOR WHAT THEY'LL DO AS
THEY TRANSITION INTO THE FACULTY
POSITION.
THIS SCHEMATIC IS JUST SHOWING
YOU THAT INDIVIDUALS CAN COME IN
AND APPLY TO THE BREADTH OF
TOPICS ACROSS NIH.
THEN AFTER GOING THROUGH A
COMPETITIVE NIH PROCESS, THOSE
WHO RECEIVE THE K99/R00 MOSAIC
AWARDS ARE THEN DISTRIBUTED OUT
AMONG THE EDUCATIONAL HUBS.
AND THESE ARE WHERE THEY CAN GET
THE ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES AND
DEVELOP COHORTS AMONG
THEMSELVES.
SO JUST TO GIVE YOU A QUICK
SENSE OF SOME OF THE ACTIVES,
COHORT BUILDING ACTIVITIES,
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT, TO GIVE YOU
A FEW TOPICS, HELPING WITH THE
FACULTY SEARCH, HOW TO MANAGE A
RESEARCH TEAM, GRANT WRITING
SKILLS AND COMMUNICATION AND
SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHING.
ALSO PROVIDING AS WE MENTIONED
EARLIER, MENTORING AND NETWORKS,
CAREER VISIBILITY AND
ENHANCEMENT AS WELL AS
INSTITUTIONAL ENGAGEMENT.
SO WHILE THIS STARTED OUT AS AN
NIGMS PROGRAM IS NOW FULLY AN
NIH-WIDE PROGRAM.
YOU CAN SEE THE NUMBER OF
INSTITUTES AND CENTERS
SUFFICIENTING THE MOSAIC
PROGRAM.
JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE DATA
ON THE EARLY SUCCESSES OF THE
PROGRAM, WE ARE REACHING A
DIVERSE COHORT OF INDIVIDUALS.
76% ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO IDENTIFY
AS WOMEN.
AND 77% ARE INDIVIDUALS FROM
UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS.
IF YOU COMPARE THIS, FOR
EXAMPLE, TO THE RESEARCH PROJECT
GRANT NIH INVESTIGATORS,
CURRENTLY 10% OF RESEARCH
PROJECT GRANT INVESTIGATORS
IDENTIFY AS BEING
UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS.
FOR THE K99/R00 STUDY, THE
RESULTS ARE SIMILAR TO RESEARCH
PROJECT GRANTS IN THAT IT WAS
CLOSE TO 10% FOR INDIVIDUALS
FROM UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS.
TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE MORE DATA
ON THE SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAM,
THE FIRST COHORT IN 2021, 79%
HAVE PROGRESSED TO INDEPENDENCE
AND THE REMAINING 21% ARE STILL
IN THEIR CAREER DEVELOPMENT
PHASE.
SO THEY ARE ON TRACK.
BUT A 2022 COHORT, ALREADY 49%
HAVE PROGRESSED TO INDEPENDENCE.
AND SO WITH THAT, I JUST WANT TO
THANK ALL OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO
WERE INVOLVED IN THE MOSAIC
PROGRAM, PARTICULARLY DR.
KENNETH GIBBS.
KENNY WAS THE PRIMARY AUTHOR ON
THAT ORIGINAL DATA SHOWING THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PH.D.
ATTAINMENT AND INDIVIDUALS GOING
ON TO ACADEMIC CAREERS.
AND HE HAS REALLY SPEARHEADED
THIS NIH-WIDE INITIATIVE.
SO WITH THAT, IT LEAGUES LIKE I
WAS ABLE TO END A LITTLE EARLY
AND I WILL TURN IT BACK TO DR.
BERNARD.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THE TIME IS ALWAYS APPRECIATED.
I'M GOING TO ASK ALL THE
PANELISTS NOW TO TURN ON THEIR
CAMERAS AND REMIND YOU IN THE
AUDIENCE THAT WE ARE OPEN TO
QUESTIONS THROUGH THE Q&A BOX.
AND WE'LL GET TO AS MANY OF THEM
AS WE CAN.
WE'LL PUT THINGS TOGETHER THAT
SEEM TO BE COMMON THEMES.
WE WILL START OFF WITH THIS
QUESTION THAT CAME FROM THE
REGISTRATION.
WE ASKED YO UH -- WE ASKED FOR
QUESTIONS THEN.
WHAT BEST PRACTICES FOR CREATING
CULTURES OF INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE
WOULD RESULT IN MEASURABLE
CHANGES AND MORE INCLUSIVE
ENVIRONMENTS?
I THINK IT IS AN IMPORTANT
QUESTION, PARTICULARLY THESE
DAYS WHEN PEOPLE ARE ASKING WHAT
IS THE IMPACT?
WHY DO YOU DO THESE DEIA THINGS?
WE SHOULD HAVE MEASURES AND
MEASURABLE IMPACTS.
I WILL GO THROUGH THE SPEAKERS
IN THE ORDER YOU PRESENTED.
I WILL MIX IT UP LATER ON.
SO DR. MICHEL.
>> I'M FIRST.
OKAY.
THIS IS A BIG HUGE QUESTION.
IT IS A HUGE CHALLENGE TO THINK
ABOUT.
IT IS EVEN A CHALLENGE TO THINK
ABOUT WHAT ARE THE MEASURABLES
WE ARE LOOKING FOR.
TO ME, IN ADDITION TO JUST
RETENTION RATES FOR STUDENTS AND
FACULTY IN THE SCIENCES, IT IS
THAT SENSE OF BELONGING THAT ALL
OF THE SPEAKERS TALKED ABOUT.
FEELING LIKE THEY ARE A
SCIENTIST.
SO AS FAR AS BEST PRACTICES, I
WOULD SAY THAT ONE OF THE MOST
IMPORTANT THINGS IS TO MAKE SURE
THAT ALL OF OUR INSTITUTIONS,
ALL OF OUR UNIVERSITIES, WE ARE
ALL VALUING THE HARD WORK IN THE
DEIA SPACE.
I THINK WHAT HAPPENS IS TOO
OFTEN IS THAT WE HAVE STRATEGIC
PLANS AND WE HAVE KIND OF VALUE
STATEMENTS ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT
DEI WORK IS.
AND WITHOUT PUTTING A LOT OF
ACTUAL VALUE ON IT, INCLUDING
GIVING PEOPLE BUDGETS.
AND THEN ALSO JUST MAKING SURE
THAT IT'S NOT JUST KIND OF
SOMETHING OR SOMEONE SEPARATE
THAT IS DOING THE WORK.
IT'S THE SCIENTISTS THEMSELVES
WHO ARE MAKING SURE, WHO ARE
INVOLVED IN MAKING SURE TO
CREATE THESE INCLUSIVE SPACES,
RIGHT?
SO IT IS THE SCIENTISTS THAT ARE
GETTING TRAINED.
IT IS THE SCIENTISTS LEARNING
ABOUT CULTURAL COMPETENCY.
IT IS THE SCIENTISTS WHO ARE
INSPIRING THAT NEXT GENERATION
OF SCIENTISTS.
SO I THINK THE MORE WE CAN MAKE
SURE THIS IS A TEAM EFFORT,
RIGHT, WE ARE ALL SCIENTISTS ALL
KIND OF WANTING THE SAME THING.
WE KNOW THAT DIVERSE TEAMS DO
BETTER SCIENCE.
WELL, IT'S ALSO ALL OF OUR
RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT
HAPPENS.
SO, TO ME, BEST PRACTICES IS FOR
INSTITUTIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT
THOSE EFFORTS ARE REALLY VALUED.
>> THANK YOU.
DR. TOLBERT.
>> THANK YOU.
YOU KNOW, I WOULD JUST REALLY
ADD ON TO THE COMMENTS THAT DR.
MICHEL JUST LAID OUT AND MAYBE I
WOULD JUST GO MAYBE ONE STEP IN
A SORT OF SIMILAR DIRECTION.
I THINK REALLY FOCUSING ON
POLICIES, PRACTICES AND
PROCEDURES.
YOU KNOW, ALIGNING EQUITY AND
INCLUSION TO THE MISSION AND
VISION OF THE INSTITUTIONS.
IN FACT, EMBEDDING IT INTO,
AGAIN, YOUR DEFINITIONS OF WHAT
IT MEANS TO BE EXCELLENT, TO DO
EXCELLENT SCIENCE.
YOU LED WITH THIS IN THE
BEGINNING ABOUT THE EVIDENCE AND
THE DATA OF HAVING MORE DIVERSE
TEAMS AND IN TERMS OF PRODUCING
MORE RIGOROUS AND INNOVATIVE
OUTPUTS.
THAT ITSELF NEEDS TO BE EMBEDDED
INTO THE FABRIC.
I WOULD SAY INCREASE
REPRESENTATION.
HAVING PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THESE
SPACES WHO ARE RUNNING RESEARCH
LABS, WHO ARE TEACHING IN THE
CLASSROOM AND ALSO WHO HAVE
LEADERSHIP POSITIONS WHO ARE
FROM MARGINALIZED BACKGROUNDS IS
KEY.
IT'S HUGE.
IT'S VERY SIGNIFICANT.
MAKING SURE THAT THE CULTURAL IS
SUCH THAT ALL INDIVIDUALS FEEL
LIKE THEY HAVE A SENSE OF
BELONGING, RIGHT?
THEY CAN ACTUALLY SHOW UP AND BE
THEIR TRUE SELVES AND THRIVE.
ONE LAST PIECE IS INCREASING
COLLABORATION.
TEAM EFFORTS AND TRYING TO
REDUCE SOME OF THE
HYPERCOMPETITIVE NATURE OF
SCIENCE.
I THINK THESE ARE A FEW EXAMPLES
OF BEST PRACTICES THAT WILL MAKE
IT BETTER FOR ALL OF US.
>> OKAY.
DR. OFILI.
>> YES.
SURE.
THE QUESTION WAS SUCH A LONG TO
AREAS OR DOMAINS, THE INDIVIDUAL
FACULTY THEMSELVES, THEIR
DEPARTMENT AS WELL AS THE
INSTITUTION TO LOOK AT WHAT IS
POTENTIALLY MODULATED INCLUSIVE
OF EXCELLENCE.
RETENTION IS IMPORTANT.
WILL THESE FACULTY BE PROMOTED?
AND HOW ARE THEY PROMOTED?
WHAT ARE THE METRICS FOR
PROMOTION?
HOW VISIBLE AND TRANSPARENT IS
THAT?
SO THERE IS A LOT OF EFFORT WITH
THESE PARTICULAR PROGRAMS THAT I
DESCRIBED TO TRY TO STANDARDIZE
AND HAVE SOME TRANSPARENCY.
BUT IT REMAINS A WORK IN
PROGRESS, I THINK.
>> DR. GAMMIE.
>> YES.
SO GOING LAST MEANS THAT I AGREE
WITH MY COLLEAGUES WHO SAID
WONDERFUL THINGS.
I WILL JUST ADD A COUPLE OF
MINOR THINGS.
ONE IS THAT IT IS IMPORTANT TO
HAVE THESE INTERMEDIARY
INDICATORS OF SUCCESS BECAUSE IT
TAKES A LONG TIME FOR OUTCOMES,
AS WE KNOW.
THE CONCRETE SORTS OF OUTCOMES.
IT IS GOOD TO HAVE INTERMEDIARY
HALLMARKS OF SUCCESS.
THESE CAN INCLUDE IMPORTANT
PSYCHO SOCIAL MEASURES.
I DO WANT TO SAY IT IS HARD WORK
TO REALLY ASSESS ORGANIZATIONAL
OR INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE.
IT IS -- SO IT IS ALL OF THE
ABOVE IN TERMS OF THE MEASURES
OF STUDENT SUCCESS AND FACULTY
SUCCESS.
THAT IS ALL MEASURES, BUT JUST
GETTING AT THE ORGANIZATIONAL
CHANGE AND THE CHANGE OF VALUES
AND THE CHANGE OF PRIORITIES,
THAT TAKES MORE QUALITATIVE
MEASURES.
AND THAT IS HARD WORK AND IT
TAKES A LONG TIME AND IT TAKES
SKILLED PEOPLE WHO KNOW HOW TO
DO QUALITATIVE RESEARCH.
I JUST WANT TO ADD THAT
COMPONENT IN AS WELL BECAUSE
IT'S JUST SIMPLY HARD TO ENGAGE
INSTITUTIONAL ORGANIZATIONAL
CHANGE.
THE MORE WE ALL GET BETTER AT
IT, BUT BRINGING IN OUR VERY
SKILLED COLLEAGUES WHO ARE GOOD
AT THIS IS KEY.
>> SO THAT IS A GREAT SEGUE INTO
ANOTHER QUESTION THAT CAME FROM
PREREGISTRATION.
I WILL GO THE OPPOSITE ORDER.
YOU ARE FOREWARNED.
HOW DO YOU GET THAT UPPER LEVEL
BUY-IN FOR MAKING INSTITUTIONAL
CHANGE?
IS ONE PART OF THE QUESTION.
THE OTHER PART OF THE QUESTION
IS HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH
RESISTANCE?
>> YEAH.
I THINK THAT MOST PEOPLE
ACKNOWLEDGE DATA.
TAKES THESE DATA-INFORMED
APPROACHES AND GATHERING DATA
AND HAVING IT ON THE READY AND
HAVING IT AVAILABLE IS REALLY
KEY.
THAT'S FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE
EXPERIENCING RESISTANCE.
I THINK ALSO WE REALLY NEED TO
CONTROL THE NARRATIVE.
MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ALREADY SAID
THIS, SO I'M JUST ECHOING WHAT
THEY SAID, WHICH IS IF YOU CARE,
LET'S JUST STAY IN THE
BIOMEDICAL SPACE.
IF YOU REALLY CARE ABOUT SCIENCE
AND EXCELLENCE IN BIOMEDICAL
RESEARCH YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOME
URGENCY AROUND THIS.
IT IS ALIGNING IT WITH WHAT IS
ONE OF THEIR VALUES.
THEY ARE NOT THERE YET IN THIS
SPACE AND SAYING, WELL, IF YOU
CARE ABOUT BEING A PREMIER
INSTITUTION FOR BIOMEDICAL
RESEARCH YOU NEED TO FOCUS ON
THIS.
I THINK MEETING WITH RESISTANCE
IS CHALLENGING BECAUSE SOMETIMES
YOU MAY THEN HAVE BUY-IN FROM
THE UPPER LEADERSHIP, BUT YOU
MEET RESISTANCE AT A SORT OF MID
LEVEL THAT HASN'T MAYBE BEEN
FULLY BRIEFED ON HOW IMPORTANT
AND VALUABLE THIS IS.
SO YOU DO NEED TO -- YOU KEEP AT
IT, BUT YOU PULL IN THAT
LEADERSHIP AS NEEDED.
IF YOU ARE MEETING RESISTANCE AT
SOME SORT OF OTHER BAND, IT IS
REALLY IMPORTANT TO DO WHAT YOU
CAN TO PUSH AGAINST IT.
EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE YOU HAVE
TO ENGAGE THOSE HIGHER LEADERS
AND SAY, I REALLY HIT A
ROADBLOCK HERE.
I DON'T THINK ANYBODY IS DOING
IT INTENTIONALLY, BUT THEY DON'T
KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE WITH
THE MISSION AND THE VISION OF
THE ORGANIZATION.
SO I'LL PASS IT ON TO MY
COLLEAGUES.
>> DR. OFILI, YOU HAVE A UNIQUE
CHALLENGE, IT IS NOT JUST YOUR
INSTITUTION BUT MULTIPLE OTHERS
YOU ARE COORDINATING WITH, WITH
THE FIRST INITIATIVE.
HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH BUY-IN AND
RESISTANCE?
>> I CAN JUST SMILE AND SAY, NO
PROBLEM, BUT EVERYBODY KNOWS
THAT IS NOT TRUE.
I THINK THE REALITY IS THESE ARE
TOUGH QUESTIONS.
INSTITUTIONS HAVE CULTURES AND
SOMETIMES YOU START WHERE YOU
START.
I WOULD AGREE WITH ALISON'S
INITIAL CONVERSATION ABOUT
PEOPLE DO BELIEVE IN DATA.
I WOULD SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, AS YOU
KNOW, DR. BERNARD, WITH THE
FIRST PROGRAM, EVERY LARGE MAJOR
ACADEMIC INSTITUTION AS WELL AS
MANY OTHERS APPLIED FOR THIS
PROGRAM.
THERE WAS CLEARLY A LOT OF
INTEREST IN WANTING TO
UNDERSTAND HOW TO DO THIS, WHAT
WORKS AND WHAT SHOULD THEY STOP
DOING?
I THINK OUR CHALLENGE CURRENTLY,
WHICH IS REAL, FOR THOSE
INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE
PARTICIPATING, IS WORKING IN
SORT OF AN ONGOING WAY WITH WHAT
THE CEC IS ASKING FOR, DRIVEN BY
THE FUNDING OPPORTUNITY AND
INTENTIONALLY LOOKING AT THE
INSTITUTION LEVEL, THE
DEPARTMENT OR CENTER LEVEL AND
THE INDIVIDUAL LEVEL, INCLUDING
THE PARTICIPANTS THEMSELVES IN
THE PROGRAM, BUT ALSO THE FIRST
FACULTY.
AND THEIR MENTORS.
SO THERE'S REALLY OPPORTUNITY
FOR THAT WIDE RANGING DATA
COLLECTION.
AND AS I SHARED IN MY SLIDE, WE
DO HAVE SOME MEASURES OF
INSTITUTIONAL CULTURE CHANGE.
AND THESE INSTITUTIONS ARE
STARTING TO GET THAT DATA BACK
IN TERMS OF HOW DO THE FACULTY
VIEW THE CULTURE THAT EXISTS?
FACULTY THAT ARE
UNDERREPRESENTED, WOMEN FACULTY,
AND WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE?
SO I THINK THAT'S THE KIND OF
DATA THAT WE REALLY HAVE TO BE
VERY DILIGENT IN AND IN THE
CURRENT ENVIRONMENT THERE'S ALSO
AN ADDED LEVEL OF STRESS.
NOBODY WANTS TO BE REFLECTED IN
A BAD LIGHT, BUT AT THE SAME
TIME, IF WE DON'T KNOW THE DATA,
WE'RE NEVER GOING TO MOVE IT
FORWARD.
SO THERE IS SOME OF THAT.
BUT OVERALL, I AM OPTIMISTIC
BECAUSE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF
THESE INSTITUTIONS THERE WAS A
LOT TO APPLY FOR AND GET THIS
FUNDING AND THEY DID.
I BELIEVE WE ALSO HAVE
OPPORTUNITY AS WE BEGIN TO GET
THE DATA TO BRING IN OTHER
INSTITUTIONS WHO WERE INTERESTED
BUT WERE NEVER FUNDED.
BUT TO BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND WHAT
THAT DATA LOOKS LIKE.
I KNOW SOME INSTITUTIONS ARE
ALREADY DOING THE COHORT MODEL.
THAT DATA IS NOT BEING
COLLECTED.
I BELIEVE -- OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS
ONE MODEL.
IT IS NOT WHAT EVERYBODY IS
GOING TO DO.
WITH SOME PATIENCE AND
PERSISTENCE TO AT LEAST WAIT TO
SEE THE DATA AND THEN SHARE WITH
UPPER LEVEL, MID LEVEL
DEPARTMENT CHAIRS, ET CETERA.
EVERYBODY WANTS TO HAVE
SUCCESSFUL INDIVIDUALS IN THEIR
DEPARTMENT.
I THINK THAT IS HOW WE ARE GOING
TO MAKE IT WORK.
>> DR. TOLBERT.
>> THANKS FOR THE QUESTION.
IT IS A CHALLENGING ONE FOR
SURE.
I DO WANT TO EMPHASIZE THE
IMPORTANCE OF COLLECTING THE
EVIDENCE AND THE DATA.
I ALSO WANT TO PUT A CAVEAT THAT
ALSO CREATES IN SOME WAYS AN
ADDITIONAL BURDEN AND A BARRIER
FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO WANT TO DO
THE WORK AND THE DATA MIGHT NOT
EXIST.
SO THEY NEED EXPERTISE AND
RESOURCES SOMETIMES TO GENERATE
THE EVIDENCE TO EVEN THEN HAVE
THE CONVERSATIONS OF THOSE WHO
ARE IN POSITIONS OF INFLUENCE
AND AUTHORITY.
I THINK AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US
IS, IN MANY WAYS, YOU KNOW,
EARLY CAREER SCIENTISTS.
WHAT ARE THE ATTRIBUTES THAT WE
ARE LOOKING FOR?
CHANGE CAN ALSO START LOCALLY.
CAN START IN OUR OWN RESEARCH
ENVIRONMENTS AND OUR OWN
RESEARCH LABS WITH HOW WE
PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES, HOW WE
NURTURE, HOW WE MENTOR, HOW WE
REALLY GROOM THE NEXT GENERATION
OF SCIENTIFIC LEADERS.
AND I THINK SO THERE'S AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL OF US WHO
ARE RUNNING RESEARCH LABS WHO
ASPIRE TO BE THE NEXT GENERATION
OF SCIENTIFIC LEADERS IS TO LEAN
INTO THE THINGS THAT ARE IN OUR
CONTROL THAT ARE PART OF A
BIGGER ECOSYSTEM.
AND JUST START TO APPRECIATE
CHANGE THAT HAPPENS LOCALLY.
HOW DO WE EMPOWER THE NEXT
GENERATION OF SCIENTIFIC LEADERS
AND HOW DO WE DESCRIBE WHAT IT
MEANS TO BE A SCIENTIFIC LEADER?
I THINK THERE IS ONE OPPORTUNITY
THAT WE CAN MEASURE A NICE DELTA
ON.
OVER A SHORTER PERIOD OF TIME AS
IT RELATES TO THE TIME THAT IT
REALLY TAKES TO HAVE
INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE.
SO I THINK THOSE ARE SOME
OPPORTUNITIES FOR US, IS REALLY
CULTIVATING, NURTURING AND
GIVING OPPORTUNITIES TO EARLY
CAREER SCIENTISTS.
AND THE LAST THING I WILL SAY, I
THINK IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE
START TO EDUCATE AND EXPLAIN TO
EARLY CAREER SCIENTISTS AND
ACADEMICS HOW INSTITUTIONS WORK
IN THE FIRST PLACE.
I THINK MANY OF US DON'T LEARN
THAT UNTIL LATER IN OUR CAREER.
AND I THINK IT'S -- IT WOULD BE
BETTER IF WE PROVIDE THAT TYPE
OF LEARNING EARLIER COMING IN AS
AN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
UNDERSTANDING THE MANY
DIMENSIONS OF AN INSTITUTION
BECAUSE AS WE TALK ABOUT CHANGE,
THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT LEVERS
ONE WOULD NEED TO PULL ON TO
REALLY HAVE EFFECTIVE CHANGE.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS
I WANTED TO SHARE.
>> WONDERFUL PERSPECTIVES.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
DR. MICHEL.
>> SO, I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL
THE PANELISTS.
THEY DID SUCH A GREAT JOB
DESCRIBING SOME OF THE THINGS
THAT WE CAN DO.
I'LL JUST ADD TWO SMALL THINGS.
ONE IS THAT I THINK IT IS
IMPORTANT TO THINK ABOUT WHEN WE
ARE PROMOTING LEADERS IN OUR OWN
INSTITUTIONS THAT THEY HAVE THE
VALUES THAT WE WANT TO SEE IN
OUR LEADERS.
SOMETIMES YOU TALKED ABOUT
RESISTANCE IN LEADERSHIP.
I THINK THAT SOMETIMES WE CAN
CHANGE THEIR MINDS WITH DATA AND
EVIDENCE.
SOMETIMES WE CAN'T.
SO WHEN WE CAN'T DO THAT, IT'S
IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THE NEXT
ROUND OF LEADERS ARE -- MAKE
SURE THAT DEI IS A VALUE, THAT
IT IS IMPORTANT TO THEM.
I THINK THAT IS REALLY
IMPORTANT.
THE SECOND ONE IS DR. GAMMIE
TALKED ABOUT HOW IT IS DIFFICULT
WHEN YOU HAVE THAT MIDDLE GROUP
OF PEOPLE RESISTANT TO CHANGE.
I THINK SOMETIMES RESISTANCE,
THERE'S MAYBE TWO REASONS FOR
RESISTANCE.
ONE IS LACK OF UNDERSTANDING AND
EDUCATION AND KIND OF FEAR
BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THE
TOOLS MAYBE TO DO THEIR PART AND
SO I DO, AS DR. TOLBERT SAID,
EDUCATION IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
EMPOWERING SCIENTISTS SO THEY
FEEL COMFORTABLE DOING BEST
PRACTICES AND INCLUSIVE
MENTORING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND THEN FINALLY, REALLY MAKING
SURE THAT, AGAIN, THE STUFF WE
DO IN THE DEI SPACE IS VALUED,
RIGHT?
A LOT OF THE STUFF WE DO IS
NONPROMOTABLE LABOR.
AGAIN, THIS GETS RELEGATED TO
PEOPLE WITH MARGINALIZED
IDENTITIES WAY TOO OFTEN.
AND WE END UP SEEING STATISTICS
THAT DON'T LOOK THE WAY WE WANT
THEM TO LOOK.
MAKING SURE WHEN WE ARE DOING
THIS AND WHEN OUR SCIENTISTS ARE
PUTTING THAT TIME AND EFFORT, WE
KNOW TIME IS VERY VALUABLE.
GIVE THEM BACK SOME OF THAT TIME
OR AT LEAST MAKE SURE THEY KNOW
WHAT THEY ARE DOING IS VALUABLE,
SHOWING IT IS PROMOTABLE,
SHOWING WHAT THEY ARE DOING IS
IMPORTANT I THINK IS MY ANSWER.
THANK YOU.
>> EXCELLENT.
SO I'M TRYING TO MIX IT UP.
I'M GOING TO GO WITH DR. OFILI,
DR. TOLBERT, DR. GAMMIE, DR.
MICHEL.
YOU JUST WENT LAST, DIDN'T YOU,
DR. MICHEL?
>> IT'S OKAY.
>> THIS IS SOMETHING IN
PARTICULAR DR. OFILI, I THINK
YOU WILL BE ABLE TO ADDRESS.
HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO ESTABLISH
DEPARTMENTAL OR ORGANIZATIONAL
POLICIES THAT EXPLICITLY OUTLINE
VALUES AROUND INCLUSIVITY?
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I THINK IT IS CRITICALLY
IMPORTANT.
SO SOME OF THE WAYS THAT I CAN
EXPLAIN THIS AS WE'RE
EXPERIENCING THE FIRST PROGRAM
IS WHEN FIRST FACULTY IS LOOKING
AT HOW WE ARE DOING THE
ASSESSMENTS, THERE IS A LOT OF
ANXIETY AROUND HOW CAN I BE
HONEST ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON,
WHETHER IN MY DEPARTMENT, BY
INSTITUTE CENTER.
THE SMALLER THE DEPARTMENT, THE
CLOSER THIS GETS TO NOT BEING
ANONYMOUS NO MATTER HOW YOU TRY.
THERE MIGHT BE ONLY A FEW LGBTQ+
OR WOMEN OR BLACKS, LATINX.
SO I THINK ESTABLISHING A
CERTAIN CULTURE THAT BEGINS AT
THE TOP, AS EVERYONE HAS SAID.
THE TOP COULD BE THE HEAD OF THE
CENTER OR INSTITUTE.
REALLY DEMONSTRATING BASED ON
WHO IS THERE AND WHO IS BEING
PROMOTED, WHO IS BEING ADVANCED
WITH SOME TRANSPARENT METRICS.
BUT WE CANNOT UNDERESTIMATE THE
CHALLENGE OF THESE INDIVIDUALS
WHO ARE PARTICIPATING IN THESE
PROGRAMS, WHETHER THEY ARE
PARTICIPATING AS ADMINISTRATORS
OR PIs OF THE PROGRAM OR AS
FIRST FACULTY OR MENTORS.
AS WE ASK THEM TO COLLECT THIS
VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO
ALLOW US TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS
WORKING AND WHAT IS NOT.
OBVIOUSLY, ESPECIALLY WITH
QUALITATIVE MEASURES, WE WANT TO
KNOW AS MUCH GRANULARITY AS
POSSIBLE.
WE HAVE TO WORK TO PROTECT THE
FACULTY.
AND THAT IS A HUGE PART OF WHAT
I'M DEALING WITH AS A
COORDINATION AND EVALUATION
CENTER IS TRYING TO CONVEY A
NEED TO KNOW BALANCED WITH A
NEED FOR UTMOST PRIVACY OF THE
INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE
PARTICIPATING.
>> THANK YOU.
DR. TOLBERT.
>> DR. BERNARD, CAN YOU PLEASE
REPEAT THE QUESTION?
I THINK I HAVE IT BUT I WANT TO
MAKE SURE.
>> OKAY.
THE QUESTION WAS HOW IMPORTANT
IS IT TO HAVE ORGANIZATIONAL
INPUT AND OUTLINES, I'M KIND OF
THINKING IN TERMS OF THE
DIVERSITY STATEMENTS THAT ARE
OFTEN REQUESTED AS YOU ARE
HIRING PEOPLE.
HOW IMPORTANT IS THAT TO PROMOTE
INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENTS?
>> OH, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S
KEY.
I MEAN, IT IS CHALLENGING GIVEN
THE SOCIAL/POLITICAL CLIMATE WE
LIVE IN NOW.
I THINK THIS AGAIN GOES BACK TO
PART OF THE CONVERSATION
EARLIER.
WHAT ARE WE SELECTING FOR?
AND ARE WE SELECTING FOR
INDIVIDUALS WHO WILL, YOU KNOW,
DO THE BEST SCIENCE THAT THEY
CAN DO THAT CAN PRODUCE THE BEST
SCHOLARSHIP THAT THEY'RE CAPABLE
OF, THAT ARE COMMITTED TO
MENTORING THE NEXT GENERATION OF
SCIENTISTS WHO, MANY OF THEM,
MOST OF THEM, WILL UNLIKELY COME
FROM BACKGROUNDS THAT ARE
SIMILAR TO THEIRS.
AND WHAT ARE OUR VALUES AS
LEADERS?
AS ACADEMIC LEADERS?
DO OUR PROCESSES, POLICIES AND
PROCEDURES ALIGN TO THE THINGS
WE SAY WE ARE COMMITTED TO?
THAT IS PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES
FOR ALL, IF THAT IS ADVANCING
EQUITY AND INCLUSION.
INCLUSIVITY HAS TO JUST BE
FUNDAMENTALLY BAKED INTO THIS.
AND I WILL SAY AGAIN GOING BACK
WITH THE FREEMAN HRABOWSKI
SCHOLARS PROGRAM, WHICH IS A
COMPETITION THAT DOES NOT SELECT
OFF PARTICULAR CHARACTERISTICS,
WE WANTED TO KNOW IN THOSE
CULTURE AND CLIMATE QUESTIONS,
HOW DO THE CANDIDATES THINK
ABOUT THESE THINGS?
WHAT ARE THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH
SYSTEMIC INEQUITIES?
WHAT ARE THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH
THE LACK OF REPRESENTATION IN
THE CLASSROOM, IN THE RESEARCH
LAB?
HOW DO THEY VIEW THE WORLD IN
THIS WAY?
AND THEN HOW DOES THAT RELATE TO
HOW THEY BUILD THEIR OWN
SCIENTIFIC ENTERPRISE WITHIN
THEIR LAB WITH HAVING BROAD
PARTICIPATION BROADLY SPEAKISPE?
AGAIN, THIS IS A LONG WINDED WAY
OF SAYING I THINK THIS IS
ABSOLUTELY IMPORTANT AND HOW DO
WE CONTINUE TO SELECT FOR THESE
ATTRIBUTES AND QUALITIES IN OUR
SCIENTISTS.
>> DR. GAMMIE.
>> YEAH.
THAT IS REALLY FANTASTIC.
I FEEL AS THOUGH WHAT I'M DOING
AT THIS POINT IS ECHOING WHAT
HAS BEEN SAID, BUT I'LL SAY IT
MAYBE IN A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT
WAY, BUT PRETTY MUCH THE SAME
THING.
IT IS KEY.
IT IS ABSOLUTELY KEY TO HAVE
YOUR CORE VALUES IN THIS AREA IN
A WRITTEN FORM.
I THINK THAT'S BECAUSE THAT IS A
THOUGHT EXERCISE AND PEOPLE HAVE
TO THINK HARD ABOUT IT AND HAVE
TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT IT,
MAYBE A LITTLE BIT OF BACK AND
FORTH.
THAT IS ABSOLUTELY KEY BECAUSE
IT BECOMES A POINT OF DISCUSSION
AND ELEVATED TO THE LEVEL OF
IMPORTANT DISCOURSE AS THESE
ORGANIZATIONS.
BUT HAVING A PIECE OF PAPER THAT
SAYS SOMETHING WITHOUT AN
EMBODIMENT AND ACTIONS THAT
MANIFEST THIS CORE VALUE, IT IS
MEANINGLESS.
IT IS A PIECE OF PAPER.
IT IS, IN FACT, A KIND OF INSULT
TO SOME PEOPLE.
HERE THEY UPHOLD THESE VALUES
YET LOOK HOW THEY BEHAVE.
THAT IS NOT GOING TO BE HELPFUL.
THE NEXT STEP IN THE EXERCISE IS
THESE ARE OUR CORE VALUES.
WHAT STEPS DO WE TAKE?
WHAT DO WE DO AS AN ORGANIZATION
TO REALLY SHOW WE SUPPORT THIS?
IT HAS BEEN SAID BEFORE, IT
MEANS RELEASE TIME OR FUNDING OR
OTHER WAYS OF ACKNOWLEDGING THE
IMPORTANCE OF THIS WORK AND THE
VALUE OF THIS WORK.
SO I THINK THAT WE WOULD MUCH
RATHER BE AT AN ORGANIZATION
WHERE SOMEBODY SORT OF LIVES AND
BREATHES AND EMBODIES THESE
VALUES.
THE DANGER THERE IS IF YOU
HAVEN'T PUT IT ON A PIECE OF
PAPER, THAT ONE INDIVIDUAL
LEAVES AND YOU REALLY LOSE A LOT
BECAUSE IT WAS ALL SORT OF
EMBODIED IN A SINGLE LEADER.
SO YOU HAVE TO -- ONE OF THE
WAYS TO GET IT EMBEDDED INTO THE
CULTURE IS MAKE SURE YOU PUT IT
DOWN ON PAPER.
I THINK I'M JUST ECHOING WHAT
HAS BEEN SAID, BUT I PASS IT ON
TO DR. MICHEL.
>> ALISON YOU SAID EXACTLY WHAT
I WAS GOING TO SAY.
I'M NOT GOING TO BELABOR THE
POINT.
I WILL JUST SAY WHEN WE RECRUIT
FACULTY WE ASK THEM TO WRITE
DIVERSITY STATEMENTS AND WE GET
THEM TO COME TO OUR UNIVERSITY
AND THEY GO OUT INTO THE ETHER
AND NOTHING IS DONE.
THAT IS REALLY A DISSERVICE TO
TAM CANTS AND THE CURRENT
FACULTY.
IF WE ARE GOING TO SAY SOMETHING
IS A VALUE TO US, WE NEED TO
FOLLOW IT UP WITH ACTION.
JUST LIKE YOU WERE SAYING, DR.
GAMMIE, PUTTING A BUDGET BEHIND
IT.
GIVING PEOPLE POWER TO DO THINGS
AND EMPOWERING OUR FACULTY AND
STAFF TO PUT EFFORT AND TIME
INTO THE DEI SPACE.
THAT IS WHERE IT REALLY MATTERS.
THE VALUE STATEMENT IS GREAT.
IT IS IMPORTANT.
IT HAS TO BE THERE, BUT ACTION
BEHIND IT IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT
OR MORE.
>> OKAY.
LOTS OF INTERESTING QUESTIONS
COMING IN THROUGH THE Q&A.
I JUST WANT TO REINFORCE FOR
EVERYONE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT
WE'RE THINKING OF DIVERSITY
BROADLY.
WE HAVE DR. MICHEL TO REPRESENT
THE ABILITIES COMPONENT OF
INCLUSION.
THERE ARE QUESTIONS ABOUT LGBTQ+
POPULATIONS, WHICH WE DON'T DO A
GREAT JOB OF MEASURING.
WE DON'T YET HAVE CONSISTENT
TOOLS.
I ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK AT
DIVERSITY.NIH.GOV UNDER THE TAB
ACT.
LOOK AT THE INSTITUTIONS THAT
GOT THE DEIA PRIZE.
VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY HAD A
PROJECT THAT WAS FOCUSED ON
LGBTQ+ POPULATION.
SO WE ARE THINKING BROADLY WHEN
WE TALK ABOUT THIS.
BUT THE QUESTION WAS RAISED
ABOUT THOUGHTS -- DR. TOLBERT,
DOCTOR GAMMIE, DR. MICHEL AND
DR. OFILI.
WHAT ARE THOUGHTS ON THE TOOL OF
INTEREST CONVERGENCE TO FOSTER
INSTITUTIONAL CULTURE, THAT
BENEFIT THE DOMINANT MAJORITY
AND MINORTIZED GROUPS.
WE ARE THINKING BROADLY ABOUT
GROUPS THAT MAY BE IN THE
MINORITY.
ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT THAT, DR.
TOLBERT?
>> I'M GOING TO NEED YOU TO
REPEAT THAT QUESTION FOR ME, DR.
BERNARD.
>> WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT
USING THE TOOL OF INTEREST
CONVERGENCE, FRAMING
INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE IN WAYS
THAT BENEFIT BOTH THE DOMINANT
MAJORITY AND MINORTIZED GROUPS
TO FOSTER INCLUSIVE CULTURE.
>> YEAH.
THANKS FOR THAT.
SO MY THOUGHTS IN GENERAL ABOUT
THIS RELATE TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT
DO WE ALL MEAN WHEN WE SAY
INCLUSION?
AND HOW DO WE CONSIDER CREATING
OPPORTUNITIES, SPACES FOR
INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE FROM ALL
BACKGROUNDS, RIGHT?
AND I WANT TO GO BACK TO A
COMMENT THAT DR. MICHEL SAID
EARLIER WITH THEIR BEST
PRACTICES THEY ARE EMPLOYING AT
RIT THE HOPE THEY ARE DESIGNING
THE STRUCTURES IN THE CLASSROOM,
THE WAY THEY GO ABOUT TEACHING
ARE WAYS THAT BENEFIT EVERYONE.
I BELIEVE FUNDAMENTALLY WHEN WE
ARE DESIGNING WITH EQUITY IN
MIND AND THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO
ARE THE MOST MARGINALIZED WE ARE
INCLUSIVE OF ALL INDIVIDUALS.
AND SO I THINK THAT THIS HAS TO
BE A PART OF OUR STRATEGY.
WE HAVE TO ALSO REALIZE THAT --
I MEAN, THERE IS AT LEAST A
TWO-PART CHALLENGE HERE.
THE NUMBERS ARE WHAT THEY ARE.
THE DATA IS WHAT THE DATA IS.
WHEN THERE ARE JUST INDIVIDUALS
FROM CERTAIN GROUPS THAT ARE
HIGHLY UNDERREPRESENTED, TO ME,
THAT'S EVIDENCE THAT SOMETHING
HAS GONE WRONG.
THAT IS THE PREMISE THAT WE HAVE
TO ADJUST THE PROCESS TO
ACTUALLY BE MORE INCLUSIVE.
BUT JUST GOING BACK, I THINK OUR
POLICIES, THE WAY WE GO ABOUT
THIS WORK NEEDS TO BE INCLUSIVE
FOR ALL INDIVIDUALS AND IF WE
ARE DESIGNING WITH EQUITY IN
MIND AND THOSE WHO ARE ON THE
MARGINS, I DO THINK THAT IS
INCLUSIVE OF EVERYONE.
>> THANK YOU.
DR. GAMMIE.
>> THAT'S GREAT.
SO I'LL JUST TELL A QUICK LITTLE
STORY.
I WAS INVITED TO GIVE A TALK AT
A SYMPOSIUM TO SUPPORT
CREATIVITY IN THE BIOMEDICAL
RESEARCH WORK FORCE OR
BIOMEDICINE.
SORT OF PREPARING FOR THE TALK,
WHAT WERE THE KINDS OF
STRUCTURES THAT INHIBITED
CREATIVITY AND KIND OF GOING
THROUGH AND DOING THE RESEARCH.
IT WAS VERY CLEAR THAT EXACTLY
THE SAME THINGS THAT WERE
INHIBITING CREATIVITY OR WHAT WE
CONSIDER PEOPLE'S CREATIVITY
WERE EXACTLY THE STRUCTURES THAT
WERE CAUSING UNDERREPRESENTATION
OF INDIVIDUALS FROM VARIOUS
GROUPS UNDERREPRESENTED IN THE
BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH WORKFORCE.
I VERY MUCH THINK THERE IS A LOT
OF OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO
LEVERAGE THIS IDEA OF
CONVERGENCE.
IF YOU CARE ABOUT CREATIVITY AND
INNOVATION IN THE BIOMEDICAL
RESEARCH WORKFORCE YOU SHOULD BE
PASSIONATE ABOUT DIVERSITY,
EQUITY, AND INCLUSION,
ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES.
THEY WILL MAKE FOR ENVIRONMENTS
THAT WILL ALLOW PEOPLE TO BE
THEIR MOST CREATIVE SELFS IN THE
SCIENTIFIC REALM.
THAT IS ONE EXAMPLE OF THE MANY
PLACES WHICH -- AND DR. MICHEL
ALREADY TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE
ONES.
WHAT WE DO IN THE EDUCATIONAL
SPACE TO HELP INDIVIDUALS WITH
DISABILITIES, IT IS GOING TO
HELP EVERYBODY.
IT LIFTS EVERYBODY'S BOAT.
THESE INNOVATIONS IN EDUCATION
SUPPORT EVERYONE.
SO IF WE KEEP DOING THAT AND
KEEP POINTING OUT THAT THIS IS
BETTER FOR EVERYONE, I THINK IT
IS REALLY KEY.
IT IS NOT THE ONLY REASON WE
SHOULD BE DOING IT, BUT IT IS AN
IMPORTANT AND POWERFUL TOOL, I
THINK.
>> YEAH.
SO I THINK EXACTLY WHAT YOU JUST
SAID.
THERE ARE SO MANY UNIVERSAL
DESIGN KIND OF STRATEGIES THAT
WE CAN USE TO MAKE SURE THAT
WHEN WE PLAN THINGS, WHEN WE
CREATE POLICIES AND PRACTICES
AND EDUCATE OUR STUDENTS WE ARE
KEEPING IN MIND THE REALLY GREAT
BROAD DIVERSITY THAT ALL OF OUR
STUDENTS HAVE, FOR EXAMPLE.
AND DOING THINGS TO MAKE THEM
MORE INCLUSIVE FOR ONE GROUP
OFTEN MAKES IT MORE INCLUSIVE
FOR MANY MORE PEOPLE.
IN ADDITION, I THINK THAT, FOR
ME, ONE OF THE THINGS I HAVE
LEARNED JUST BY DOING THIS WORK
IS IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO ASK
OUR STUDENTS AND ASK OUR
FACULTY, ASK OUR COLLEAGUES,
TALK TO THEM, LISTEN.
LEARN CULTURAL COMPETENCY.
SO DO KIND OF SOME OF THE
LEGWORK SO THAT WE ARE A LITTLE
MORE COMPETENT IN THE DIFFERENT
CULTURES THAT PEOPLE COME FROM.
SO THE MORE WE CAN DO THAT, I
THINK THE MORE WE CAN ALL WORK
TOGETHER TO SOLVE PROBLEMS AND
TO, YOU KNOW, EMPOWER THE NEXT
GENERATION OF SCIENTISTS.
I WILL SAY THAT OFTENTIMES, I'M
GUILTY OF THIS, I WILL OFTEN
THINK ABOUT MY STUDENTS AND I
WILL SAY I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S
RIGHT FOR THEM.
I'M GOING TO CREATE AN INCLUSIVE
PRACTICE THAT IS GOING TO BE
AWESOME FOR THEM AND I ASK THEM
AND THEY SAY THE EXACT OPPOSITE
THING.
SO, TO ME, A LOT OF TIMES IT IS
ABOUT STEPPING BACK AND REMOVING
ALL OF OUR EGOES AND ASKING THEM
WHAT THEY NEED AND ASKING THEM
WHAT IS BEST FOR THEM.
I THINK THAT IS A GOOD PRACTICE
THAT WE ARE NOT ALL USED TO
DOING.
>> GO AHEAD, DR. OFILI.
>> OH, YES.
I WAS GOING TO PIGGYBACK ON SOME
OF THOSE COMMENTS ON CREATIVITY
AND ASKING THE SCHOLARS
THEMSELVES.
WHEN WE THINK ABOUT, AGAIN, THIS
WAS BROUGHT HOME TO ME BOTH FROM
THE RCMI AS WELL AS THE FIRST
PROGRAM.
ESPECIALLY DURING COVID.
SO WHEN PEOPLE, ACTUALLY, I
THINK SOME OF THE ORIGINAL
RESEARCH CAME FROM DR. GIBBS.
UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS DO TEND
TO WANT TO ADDRESS BROADER
RESEARCH QUESTIONS.
SOME OF IT COMES DOWN TO HEALTH
EQUITY AND WE DEFINITELY SAW
THAT DURING COVID.
IN OUR DISCUSSION WITH THE FIRST
FACULTY BEING ENROLLED AS COHORT
FACULTY, THEY ARE ASKING, ARE WE
GOING TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO
ASK QUESTIONS GERMANE TO US?
FOR EXAMPLE, WE WANT TO ASK
QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT INVOLVED
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
WE WANT TO GO OUT THERE AND DO
THAT TYPE OF WORK.
FROM A CONVERGENT STANDPOINT,
THAT INNOVATION BECAUSED ON
THEIR INTEREST WILL BENEFIT ALL
OF US BECAUSE WE LEARNED DURING
COVID PEOPLE DOING AT THE GROUND
LEVEL COMMUNITY ENGAGED RESEARCH
BROUGHT A LOT OF COVID
RESOLUTION, COVID CLINICAL
TRIALS, ET CETERA.
I THINK IF WE DRILL DOWN TO
THESE SCIENTISTS WHO ARE TRYING
TO ESSENTIALLY SOLVE PROBLEMS
AND SOME OF THE PROBLEMS THEY
ARE TRYING TO SOLVE, AS
EVERYBODY HAS JUST SAID, HAS
CROSS BENEFIT, DOESN'T HAVE
ANYTHING TO DO IF YOU ARE
UNDERREPRESENTED OR NOT.
BECAUSE IT IS RESOLVING PROBLEMS
IN BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH.
>> THANK YOU.
IN TERMS OF THIS ISSUE OF
FOCUSING IN ONE WAY AND BEING
BENEFICIAL MORE BROADLY, A GREAT
EXAMPLE IS THE NIH UNITED
INITIATIVE I HAVE CO-LED.
GOOGLE NIH UNITE.
THERE IS ALL SORTS OF THINGS BY
THE VOLUNTEERS.
THERE IS NOTHING SPECIFICALLY
TARGETING PEOPLE BY RACE OR
ETHNICITY.
BY LAW, WE CAN'T EVEN DO THAT.
BUT IT HAS BEEN BROADLY
BENEFICIAL AND APPLICABLE.
SO YES, YOU MAY LOOK AT THINGS
FROM A CERTAIN PERSPECTIVE, BUT
YOU COME UP WITH THINGS THAT ARE
BENEFICIAL BROADLY.
WE ARE DOWN TO OUR LAST SEVEN
MINUTES AND I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS
FOR EACH OF YOU.
SO LIGHTNING ROUND.
THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF
QUESTIONS ABOUT RESOURCES, DR.
MICHEL IN PARTICULAR GOOD
RESOURCES FOR UNIVERSAL DESIGN.
WE WILL HAVE REFERENCES, BUT AS
WE DO OUR LIGHTNING ROUND I
WOULD LIKE EACH OF YOU TO
ADDRESS YOUR FAVORITE RESOURCE
IN THIS AREA THAT YOU WOULD
REFER PEOPLE TO.
AND THEN THE THING YOU WANT THEM
TO REMEMBER FROM WHAT IT IS YOU
HAVE PRESENTED AND REPRESENTED
HERE IN THIS SESSION.
DR. GAMMIE, YOU GET TO GO FIRST.
>> ALL RIGHT.
SO SHOULD I DO BOTH?
>> YES, PLEASE.
>> VERY GOOD.
I THINK ONE PLACE I WILL POINT
YOU, IF WE GO BACK TO THE POINT
OF TRYING TO THINK ABOUT WAYS TO
MEASURE CHANGE, THE DIVERSITY
CONSORTIUM HAS BEEN A 10-YEAR
PROGRAM AND IT IS COMING TO THE
END, ONE OF THE MAJOR
DELIVERABLES ARE AT THE FACULTY
AND INSTITUTIONAL LEVEL.
THERE ARE MEASURES THAT GO ALONG
WITH EACH OF THESE HALLMARKS OF
SUCCESS.
THAT MAY BE A USEFUL TOOL TO
YOU.
AND SO YOU CAN FIND THAT THROUGH
OUR WEBPAGE.
IF YOU HAVE ANY TROUBLE FINDING
IT, JUST REACH OUT TO ME.
BE HAPPY TO POINT YOU IN THE
RIGHT DIRECTION.
ONE THING TO TAKE AWAY, I THINK
THAT THERE'S NO ONE THING THAT'S
GOING TO SOLVE THIS HUGE
PROBLEM.
AND I THINK IT'S REALLY
WONDERFUL, JUST HEARTENING TO
HEAR ABOUT ALL OF THE AMAZING
INITIATIVES GOING ON.
EACH ONE IMPORTANT IN ITS OWN
WAY.
THERE'S LOTS OF PLACES THAT WE
NEED TO BE MOVING FORWARD, BUT I
THINK IT IS VERY, IT IS JUST
WONDERFULLY HEARTENING TO SEE
THE HARD WORK.
IF WE ALL PULL TOGETHER AND KEEP
FOCUSED WE ARE GOING TO FACE
SOME SETBACKS, BUT IF WE KEEP
MOVING FORWARD, PROGRESS WILL BE
MADE.
NO ONE SOLUTION, MANY, MANY
WONDERFUL SOLUTIONS.
>> GREAT.
ONE MINUTE EACH.
DR. MICHEL.
>> I WILL SAY SINCE MY TALK WAS
FOCUSED ON WORKING WITH DEAF AND
HARD OF HEARING, RIT HAS AMAZING
RESOURCES, TIGER CHAT, IT IS A
GREAT VOICE TO TEXT PROGRAM AND
WE HAVE OTHER AMAZING RESOURCES
AND JUST BEST PRACTICES FOR
WORKING WITH STUDENTS WITH
DISABILITIES.
I'LL SAY AS FAR AS TAKEAWAY
MESSAGES, I WOULD SAY THAT ONE
OF THE THINGS I LIKE TO DO IS
STEAL THINGS FROM OTHER PEOPLE.
WE -- THERE'S SO MANY AMAZING
PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING FOR
INCLUSION IN THE DEI SPACE.
WE CAN LEARN FROM EACH OTHER.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO SHARE BEST
PRACTICES.
WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF
DISSEMI
DISSEMINATING.
WE NEED MORE PANELS, PAPERS AND
WEBSITES.
NO ONE WANTS TO RE-CREATE THE
WHEEL.
WE DON'T HAVE TIME FROM THAT.
LET'S STEAL THE BEST THINGS FROM
EVERYBODY AND WE CAN ALL MOVE
FORWARD CORRECTLY.
>> DR. OFILI.
>> YES.
I WILL DO A DR. TOLBERT.
SO WHAT WAS THE FIRST ONE AND
THE SECOND ONE.
>> WHAT REFERENCE WOULD YOU
REFER PEOPLE TO, AND WHAT IS ONE
THING YOU WOULD LIKE THEM TO
TAKE AWAY AND YOU HAVE ONE
MINUTE.
>> YEAH I THINK FROM A
STANDPOINT OF REFERENCE, I WOULD
SAY THE DIFFERENT WEBSITES.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS AT LEAST
TO ME JUDGING FROM SOME OF THE
QUESTIONS COMING IN MANY IS
REALLY EMPHASIZING THE
IMPORTANCE OF COLLABORATION.
YOU MAY NOT BE A FIRST SITE, YOU
MAY NOT BE AN RCMI INSTITUTION
THAT ARE DOING SUH SUPERB WORK
WITH DEIA, IF YOU GET INTO A
COLLABORATION THAT BRINGS
TOGETHER WHAT DR. MICHEL WAS
SHARING ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO
ACTUALLY MOVE THE DATA AND THE
AGENDA FORWARD.
I THINK WE DON'T SPEAK ENOUGH OR
EVEN RESOURCE COLLABORATIONS
ENOUGH.
I THINK THERE WAS RESOURCE IN
THAT QUESTION.
YOU MENTIONED EARLIER.
AGAIN, THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES
BUT I BELIEVE THERE NEEDS TO BE
MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO GET THESE
COLLABORATIONS BETWEEN
MINORITY-SERVING INSTITUTION
INVESTIGATORS AND OTHERS BECAUSE
OF THE SIGNIFICANT EXPERTISE
THAT RESIDE IN SOME OF THESE
INSTITUTIONS THAT COULD BECOME
SYNERGISTIC.
IN TERMS OF THE TAKEAWAY, I
WOULD AGAIN REALLY SAY PLEASE
VISIT NOT JUST THE FIRST
WEBSITE, THE RCMI WEBSITE, BUT A
LOT OF THE PRESENTATIONS, THERE
IS A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES TO
REVIEW WHAT IS HAPPENING AND HOW
YOU PLACE THAT IN THE MIDST OF
THAT.
I'M HEARING PEOPLE SAY, THIS IS
ALL WELL AND GOOD, BUT WHAT
ABOUT ME?
THAT IS A BIG WAY TO BEGIN TO
GET INTO THAT.
AS DR. MICHEL SAID, THE
DISSEMINATION ASPECT OF THIS
WOULD ALLOW FOR AN OPPORTUNITY
OF EXPANSION.
IT IS NOT UNUSUAL FOR NIH TO
COME UP WITH ADDITIONAL DOLLARS
TO SUPPORT THINGS AROUND THAT
ESPECIALLY DISSEMINATION.
>> DR. TOLBERT, YOU GET TO HAVE
THE LAST WORD.
I DO HAVE A FEW SLIDES AFTER
THAT, SO PEOPLE, PLEASE DO HANG
ON.
DR. TOLBERT.
>> THANK YOU.
THIS HAS BEEN GREAT.
SO THREE RESOURCES THAT I'VE
BEEN USING RECENTLY AND THINKING
ABOUT.
ONE IS THIS RECENT ELI
PUBLICATION THAT DESCRIBES USING
DE-IDENTIFIED, YOU KNOW,
APPLICATION MATERIAL FOR THE
BECKMAN FOUNDATION.
AND SOME OF THE BEST PRACTICES
AND THE RESULTS AND OUTCOMES
THAT CAME OUT OF THAT STUDY.
I THINK THAT IS A GOOD RESOURCE
FOR PEOPLE TO LOOK AT BECAUSE
THERE IS A LOT OF GOOD CONTENT
THERE ABOUT WHAT WE MIGHT LEARN
FROM EMPLOYING SUCH PROCESSES.
THE OTHER IS THE RECENT, MAYBE
TWO OR THREE YEARS AGO, BUT
STILL A GREAT RESOURCE.
THE NATIONAL ACADEMY'S REPORT ON
ADVANCING ANTI-RACISM,
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION
IN STEM ORGANIZATIONS.
WHAT I FOUND PERSONALLY EXCITED
ABOUT ARE THE PORTIONS THAT
REALLY TALKED ABOUT THE LIVED
EXPERIENCE OF SOME OF THESE
INDIVIDUALS FROM MARGINALIZED
BACKGROUNDS IN THESE SPACES.
THAT ANECDOTAL THAT IS REALLY
STILL DATA AND IMPORTANT TO
CONSIDER IS KEY.
A LAST BOOK AND THIS RELATES
GOING BACK TO THE MEYERHOFF
PROGRAM, AND DR. HRABOWSKI'S
BOOK ABOUT SETTING VISION,
EMPOWERING OTHERS TO DO TO WORK.
>> WELL, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH.
WE ARE AT TIME.
I'M GOING TO ASK YOU TO HOLD ON
FOR ONE MORE MINUTE.
WE HAVE A FEW MORE SLIDES.
I'M GOING TO ASK MS. NICOLE LANG
TO TURN ON HER CAMERA SO WE CAN
PIN HER AND THANK HER SO MUCH
FOR ALL THE WORK SHE HAS DONE.
SHE HAS BEEN THE ENGINE BEHIND,
IS SHE PINNED YET.
SHE HAS BEEN THE ENGINE BEHIND
MAKING SURE WE HAVE DONE
EVERYTHING WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE
DOING WITH THE SCIENTIFIC
DIVERSITY SERIES.
SHE IS MOVING ON TO NEW
OPPORTUNITIES AT NIH SO WE THANK
YOU, NICOLE.
EVERYBODY KNOWS SHE IS THE
PERSON YOU NEED TO TALK TO.
SO THIS IS A WRAP.
FOR THE 23-24 SEASON.
WE WANT TO THANK EVERYONE,
PARTICULARLY NICOLE, THE REST OF
THE COSWOOD TEAM FOR HELPING OUR
NUMBERS TO GROW.
WE WILL RESUME IN OCTOBER.
WE HAVE PLANS FOR OCTOBER 17
SESSION, HOW DIVERSE
PERSPECTIVES AFFECT OUTCOMES.
WE ASK YOU STAY IN CONTACT WITH
US TO HELP US DISSEMINATE THE
EVIDENCE.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU AND
EVERYONE FOR JOINING US.
HOPE YOU HAVE AN ENJOYABLE
REMAINDER OF YOUR DAY AND
SUMMER.
EVERYBODY TAKE CARE AND STAY
COOL.
>> THANK YOU.