An IDeA for enhancing undergraduate research at rural primarily undergraduate institutions

Impacts of a University Research Assistant Program: The First Decade

Purpose

There is a declining number of physician-scientists. Little is published about the potential for university student experiences to contribute to the pipeline of future researchers. The purpose of this study was to describe a unique university research program and report the outcomes of the first 10 years.

Method

The University Research Assistant Program (URAP) was described including course content, research experiences, and student composition. Outcomes of URAP student contributions to the literature and research presentations was reported. URAP students were also surveyed to assess their perspectives on the impact of the URAP program on career choices after graduation.

Results

URAP began as an independent study course and grew into for-credit university courses. A total of 212 students have taken at least one semester and 88 responded to the survey. All students who participated in URAP have graduated, and 77% (n = 68) reported the URAP program prepared them to reach their career goals. Most graduates pursued health care careers including medical school (55%), Master's programs in health care (29%), or PhD in health care (5%). URAP students participated in research involving 11 different pediatric subspecialties. Many attained co-authorship of abstracts and publications, 53 first-authored an abstract presentation and 7 manuscripts.

Conclusions

URAP significantly influenced university students who overwhelmingly entered health care fields. While difficult to assess if these early experiences will influence participation as future physician -scientists, these students made meaningful research contributions while enrolled in these courses.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-023-01852-6.

Building a biomedical pipeline: the impact of the Idaho IDeA INBRE summer research experience at a primarily undergraduate institution

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.

Postbaccalaureate terminal degree and career choices of students who performed undergraduate research

This study analyzed terminal degree and career choices of students who performed undergraduate research. In one analysis, the study compared terminal degree and career choices between a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) and traditional non-course-based undergraduate research experiences at one primarily undergraduate institution (PUI). Students who pursued postbaccalaureate programs chose terminal degrees at levels exceeding 75%, with no significant difference between a CURE experience and a traditional research experience. Analysis of terminal degree and career choices at four PUIs providing traditional research experiences showed a marked difference in the number of students pursuing terminal degrees. Two PUIs showed rates > 75%, whereas students at the other two PUIs pursued terminal degrees <50% of the time. The majority of students not pursuing terminal degrees chose M.S. degrees in education and healthcare. An analysis was also performed among students participating in traditional summer undergraduate research on a research-intensive university (RIU) campus with a medical school. Students were accepted from two programs, an NIH IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) program recruiting students from the RIU and an NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program recruiting undergraduates from rural PUIs and minority-serving institutions, particularly tribal colleges. Analysis showed that >70% of the students who pursued postbaccalaureate programs chose terminal degrees. INBRE undergraduates displayed a marked preference for the M.D. degree (73.9% vs. 17.4%), whereas the REU students chose the Ph.D. degree (75.0% vs. 22.9%). American Indian students were also analyzed separately for career choice and showed an equal preference for the M.D. and Ph.D. degrees when pursuing postbaccalaureate education. Overall, the results provide evidence that undergraduate student research stimulates student careers in areas needed by the nation's citizen stakeholders.

Desarrollo de competencias investigativas en estudiantes de las Ciencias de la Salud. Sistematización de experiencias

Desarrollar competencias investigativas en un estudiante implica conocer el uso del conocimiento de forma adecuada; esto permite que se fortalezcan las habilidades para la observación, argumentación, sistematización y cuestionamiento a fin de que se pueda crear y/o gestionar un conocimiento. Para el desarrollo de las competencias en investigación se han planteado distintas estrategias didácticas: semilleros de investigación, aprendizaje cooperativo, métodos por proyectos, aprendizaje basado en problemas, uso de mapas conceptuales, estudios de casos, seminarios, redacción de ensayos y elaboración de talleres. En la presente revisión sistemática se analizó los principales programas que se han implementado en las universidades para mejorar las competencias investigativas de estudiantes de las Ciencias de la Salud. Se destaca a los programas de verano y el trabajo colaborativo con mentores como las intervenciones más comunes y eficaces para el desarrollo de tales competencias.

Impact of the INBRE summer student mentored research program on undergraduate students in Arkansas

The Institutional Development Award (IDeA) program, housed within the National Institute for General Medical Sciences, administers the Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) as a strategic mission to broaden the geographic distribution of National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding within the United States. Undergraduate summer student mentored research programs (SSMRP) are a common feature of INBRE programs and are designed to increase undergraduate student interest in research careers in the biomedical sciences. Little information is available about student perspectives on how these programs impact their choices relative to education and careers. Therefore, we conducted qualitative interviews with 20 participants from the Arkansas INBRE SSMRP in the years 2002-2012. Each telephone interview lasted 30-45 min. An interview guide with a broad "grand tour" question was used to elicit student perspectives on SSMRP participation. Interviews were digitally recorded, then transcribed verbatim, and the transcript checked for accuracy. Content analysis and constant comparison were used to identify nine themes that were grouped into three temporal categories: before, during, and after the SSMRP experience. Students viewed the experience as positive and felt it impacted their career choices. They emphasized the value of mentoring in the program, and some reported maintaining a relationship with the mentor after the summer experience ended. Students also valued learning new laboratory and presentation skills and felt their research experience was enhanced by meeting students and scientists with a wide range of career interests. These data suggest that the Arkansas INBRE and the NIH IDeA program are successfully meeting the goal of increasing interest in research among undergraduates.