REPORT OF THE NAGMS COUNCILMORE DIVISION WORKING GROUP

Charge to the Group

The National Advisory General Medical Sciences (NAGMS) Council MORE Division Working Group was formed to provide guidance to the NAGMS Council with regard to the programs of the MORE (Minority Opportunities in Research) Division. The Working Group was asked to review the original mandates, the current rationales, and the objectives of the existing MORE programs. They were also asked to make recommendations to the NAGMS Council in terms of existing programs and future initiatives.

The group met on August 18-19, 2005 and May 17, 2006, with a teleconference on April 26, 2006

Clarify the goals of the MORE program

1. The emphasis of the MORE programs should be to increase the number of URM students with Ph.D.’s with an emphasis to increase the number of faculty in colleges and universities.

2. The primary focus of MORE programs should be the training of students and post-doctoral fellows.

3. MORE programs at non-research minority serving institutions should be used primarily to support teaching and developing research competence at these schools.

4. To increase awareness that MORE program funding for student training can be accessed by all institutions that educate and train URM.

Evaluation

NIGMS must do a better job of documenting outcomes and evaluating the success of its individual programs.

• With utmost urgency to collect information that can inform expected and projected outcomes and to guide assessment.

• Establish a standing advisory committee of NAGMS for URM training across all NIGMS programs

Incorporate MORE programs into NIGMS research divisions

All NIGMS programs should identify ways to incorporate the goals of the MORE division into their own programs.

Undergraduate Research Opportunities for minority students

• Establish formal partnerships between MSI and Teaching and Research Intensive Institutions to promote research opportunities for students at non research MSI.

• Expand programs supporting research opportunities for minority students at majority institutions.

• Development of a faculty career award to support faculty efforts to promote diversity.

• It is the obligation of all research grants to provide undergraduate research opportunities.

• Broadly publicize that multiple undergraduate minority supplements per research grant are encouraged.

Graduate & Postdoctoral Research Opportunities

• NIGMS should do more to increase the number of URM in top ranked graduate programs.

• Emphasis that URM graduate students are placed in highly competitive and well mentored postdoctoral positions.

• Analysis of faculty hiring patterns at colleges and universities.

• Multiple graduate and postdoctoral supplements per research grant

Promote “Gateways to Faculty” positions

Support the transition of URM scientists from postdoctoral fellow to faculty member. Recommend a parallel K22 path for URM faculty at majority or minority institutions.

Evaluation of programs

• To increase the number of URM involvement in NIGMS programs by 10% per year to achieve a potential doubling of URM faculty in 8 yrs.

• Create an NIH-wide office of training statistics to include minority data.

Virginia Zakian, Ph.D. (co-chair)*Professor of Molecular BiologyDepartment of Molecular BiologyPrinceton UniversityPrinceton, NJ 08544-1014(609) 258-6770vzakian@ princeton.edu

Valerie Wilson, Ph.D. (co-chair)Executive Director, Leadership AllianceClinical Professor of Community HealthBrown University Medical School15 Sayles Hall, Box 1963Providence, RI 02912(401) 863-9892Valerie_Wilson@brown.edu

Carlos G. Gutierrez, Ph.D. (not present at meeting; contributed thoughts in writing)Professor of ChemistryDepartment of Chemistry and BiochemistryŹCalifornia State University, Los Angeles5151 State University DriveŹLos Angeles,ŹCAŹ90032Ź Ź(323) 343-235cgutier@calstatela.edu

Julius H. Jackson, Ph.D.Professor of MicrobiologyDepartment of MicrobiologyMichigan State University6178 BPSEast Lansing, MI 48824517-355-1604jhjacksn@msu.edu

Sandra Harris-Hooker, Ph.D.Associate Dean, Research DevelopmentOffice of Research DevelopmentŹMorehouse School of MedicineŹ720 Westview Drive, SWŹAtlanta,Ź GAŹ30310-1495Ź Ź(404) 752-1725Źhooker@msm.edu

Jeffrey T. Mason, Ph.D.*Chairman, Department of BiophysicsArmed Forces Institute of PathologyRockville, MD 20850(301) 319-0043mason@afip.osd.mil

Richard Morimoto, Ph.D.*Professor of Molecular BiologyDepartment of Biochemistry, Molecular Biologyand Cell BiologyNorthwestern University2153 Sheridan RdEvanston, IL 60208(847) 491-3440r-morimoto@northwestern.edu

Reba N. Page, Ph.D.Professor of EducationGraduate School of EducationUniversity of California at RiversideSproul Hall 2128Riverside, CA 92521(951) 827-5238reba.page@ucr.edu

Robert S. Pozos, Ph.D.ProfessorDepartment of BiologySan Diego State University5500 Campanille Drive, Room 130 North LifeSciencesSan Diego, CA 92182-4616(619) 594-2581bpozos@sciences.sdsu.edu

Margaret C. Werner-Washburne, Ph.D.Professor of BiologyDepartment of BiologyŹUniversity of New MexicoCastetter HallŹ200Albuquerque,Ź NMŹ 87131(505) 277-9338maggieww@unm.edu

James H. Wyche, Ph.D.Vice Provost for Academic AffairsProfessor of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyUniversity of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center1000 Statton Young Blvd, #221Oklahoma City, OK 73117(405) 271-2332James-wyche@ouhsc.edu

Roster of MORE Working Group (*member of NAGMS council)