National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Rose Li & Associates, Chevy Chase, MD, USA.
Neuropsychopharmacology. 2023 Dec;48(13):1963-1967. doi: 10.1038/s41386-023-01733-x. Epub 2023 Sep 19.
There is a well-known lack of diversity in many Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. The gap in awarded National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants for scientists from underrepresented populations at the early stages of their careers contributes significantly to this lack of diversity. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Diversity Scholars Network (NDSN) program implemented a new model in 2016 to provide support to underrepresented early-career investigators (ECIs) by equipping them to navigate the competitive NIH grant process. NDSN has a demonstrable track record of providing equity through educational opportunities by enhancing the grant funding success of participants. Of 59 participants from 2016 through 2021, 53% received funding within the first two years after completing the program and 69% by four years. NDSN scholars surmount systemic funding barriers by building relationships with scientific coaches, mentors, NIDA Program Officials and intentionally engaging in network building, which all contribute to the funding success of ECIs. NIDA's NDSN program provides a model for retaining underrepresented ECIs that not only benefits individual scholars, but also the institutions they serve and society as a whole.
在许多科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）领域，都存在着众所周知的缺乏多样性的问题。在职业生涯早期，代表性不足的人群获得美国国立卫生研究院（NIH）资助的差距很大，这也是造成这种多样性缺乏的一个重要原因。国家药物滥用研究所（NIDA）多元化学者网络（NDSN）计划于 2016 年实施了一种新模式，为代表性不足的早期职业研究员（ECI）提供支持，使他们能够驾驭竞争激烈的 NIH 资助程序。NDSN 通过提供教育机会，为参与者增加资助成功的机会，从而在提供公平方面有着显著的记录。在 2016 年至 2021 年期间的 59 名参与者中，53%的人在完成该计划后的头两年内获得了资金，69%的人在四年内获得了资金。NDSN 学者通过与科学教练、导师、NIDA 项目官员建立关系，并有意进行网络建设，克服了系统资助障碍，这些都有助于 ECI 的资助成功。NIDA 的 NDSN 计划为留住代表性不足的 ECI 提供了一个模式，这不仅有利于个别学者，也有利于他们所服务的机构和整个社会。
