BackgroundApproaches to training biomedical scientists have created a talented research community. However, they have failed to create a professional workforce that includes many racial and ethnic minorities and women in proportion to their representation in the population or in PhD training. This is particularly true at the faculty level. Explanations for the absence of diversity in faculty ranks can be found in social science theories that reveal processes by which individuals develop identities, experiences, and skills required to be seen as legitimate within the profession.Methods/DesignUsing the social science theories of Communities of Practice, Social Cognitive Career Theory, identity formation, and cultural capital, we have developed and are testing a novel coaching-based model to address some of the limitations of previous diversity approaches. This coaching intervention (The Academy for Future Science Faculty) includes annual in-person meetings of students and trained faculty Career Coaches, along with ongoing virtual coaching, group meetings and communication. The model is being tested as a randomized controlled trial with two cohorts of biomedical PhD students from across the U.S., one recruited at the start of their PhDs and one nearing completion. Stratification into the experimental and control groups, and to coaching groups within the experimental arms, achieved equal numbers of students by race, ethnicity and gender to the extent possible. A fundamental design element of the Academy is to teach and make visible the social science principles which highly influence scientific advancement, as well as acknowledging the extra challenges faced by underrepresented groups working to be seen as legitimate within the scientific communities.DiscussionThe strategy being tested is based upon a novel application of the well-established principles of deploying highly skilled coaches, selected and trained for their ability to develop talents of others. This coaching model is intended to be a complement, rather than a substitute, for traditional mentoring in biomedical research training, and is being tested as such.

In this study, we conducted in-depth interviews with 52 college graduates as they entered a Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP). Our goal was to investigate what it means for these aspiring scientists, most of whom are from groups underrepresented in the sciences, to feel ready to apply to a doctoral program in the biomedical sciences. For our analysis, we developed and used a theoretical framework which integrates concepts from identity-inpractice literature with Bourdieu's formulation of cultural capital and also examined the impact of racial, ethnic, and gender identities on education and career trajectories. Five patterns of identity work for expected engagement with PREP grew out of our analysis: Credential Seekers, PI Aspirants, Path Builders, Discipline Changers, and Interest Testers. These patterns illuminate differences in perceptions of doing, being, and becoming within science; external and internal foci of identity work; and expectations for institutional and embodied cultural capital. Our findings show that preparing for graduate education is more complex than acquiring a set of credentials as it is infused with identity work which facilitates readiness beyond preparation. This deeper understanding of individual agency and perceptions allows us to shift the focus away from a deficit model where institutions and programs attempt to "fix" students, and to offer implications for programs designed to support college graduates aspiring to become scientists. HHS Public Access Author Manuscript Author ManuscriptAuthor Manuscript Author ManuscriptIt is well known that African American, Hispanic, and Native American students are underrepresented in the sciences, including the biological sciences (Chen, 2009; National Academies of Science, 2011; National Science Foundation [NSF], 2013). This underrepresentation increases as students progress through higher education. While African American and Hispanic students receive around 16% of bachelor degrees in the biological sciences, they represent only about 11% of the graduate students in these fields and around 7% of the PhD recipients (NSF, 2013). At both the undergraduate and graduate levels, in the biological sciences, minority students are less apt to persist in the major to degree than are other students (Bass, Rutledge, Douglass, & Carter, 2007;Griffith, 2010). The literature on persistence identifies a number of factors contributing to these patterns including educational affordability; admissions policies and practices; educational experience and quality; social and academic integration; and faculty-student mentorship (Proirier, Tanenbaum, Storey, Kirshstein, & Rodriguez, 2009).While we acknowledge the role institutions play in student persistence, in this study, we aim to better understand individuals' experiences and perceptions at a specific decision point within a biomedical career trajectory that has not been researched. Specifically, we use indepth one-on-one interviewing to explore why 52 academically talented college gra...

This study reveals how Postbaccalaureate Research Education Programs (PREP) enable growth and development among participants along domains of readiness for academics, research, and presentation of themselves as legitimate future scientists. All domains contribute to formation or growth of an identity as a future PhD student and scientist.

An internship program model that supports life sciences doctoral students’ pursuit of a broad range of careers is described. Evaluation of the program model at two institutions finds that participation increases students’ confidence in career decision making without extending time to degree and may help some trainees avoid “default postdocs.”