NIH GROW Program: Workforce Research Training and Education Support

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Background: The NIH Gateway to Research Opportunities for the Workforce (GROW) Program, formerly known as the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Undergraduate Summer Research Preparatory Program, provides funding to contracted sites to implement either a two-year program designed to prepare high school students from American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities or undergraduate students from resource limited institutions (RLIs) to become competitive applicants for future research training program. In recent years, graduate programs increasingly expect incoming students to have substantial research experience prior to matriculation. However, even pre-college and undergraduate summer programs have raised the bar and now expect applicants to have significant prior scientific experience. High school students from AI/AN communities and undergraduates from RLIs often experience limited access, exposure, and opportunities to engage in biomedical research, as well as a lack of awareness about available research programs. Since disadvantages tend to be cumulative, this lack of an entry point often prevents the talented students from these communities from progressing into summer research programs at research-intensive institutions and the eventual research investigator pathway. While NIH offers funding mechanisms for training, these mechanisms largely fund a competitive pool of research-active and -intensive schools that already have a base of established grant-funded research mentors, research infrastructure, and feasibility/preliminary data for the design of their training program. The NIH GROW Program aims to bridge this gap by providing contracted sites the support needed to develop a competitive research training program at their institution. This program will provide students from AI/AN communities and RLIs the opportunity to participate in biomedical research and receive guidance from experienced researchers to become competitive applicants for future research opportunities. Moreover, a goal of the NIH Strategic Plan is to develop, maintain, and renew scientific human resources that will ensure the nation's capability to prevent disease and increase health for all. Expanding the pipeline of new trainees through both tracks of the NIH GROW Program aligns directly with this mission. The high school track of the NIH GROW program also supports the NIH Tribal Health Research /AN communities. By fostering greater participation in biomedical research, the program encourages more AI/AN students to pursue careers in health and science to serve their communities. The NIH GROW program is specifically designed to expand access to biomedical research opportunities for students who have not previously been exposed to such experiences and who may lack access to research training. Through this program, students will gain technical and analytical skills, engage in professional development seminars, and participate in career-planning activities. Purpose and

Objectives: The

objective of the NIH GROW program is to offer high school students from AI/AN communities and college students from RLIs a broad range of introductory research experiences, establishing a strong foundation of scientific and research skills and competencies. Contracted sites for the NIH GROW program must design a career-stage-appropriate program for their selected track that includes a seven- to eight-week summer program along with one enrichment activity in both the fall and spring. Offerors are required to develop a comprehensive summer curriculum that includes, but is not limited to, the following: Hands-on research experience: Student participants should have exposure to basic and clinical laboratory experiences, allowing them to acquire new technical and analytical research skills. The students shall learn laboratory techniques commonly used in biomedical research, develop skills on planning and performing experiments and analyzing data effectively, maintain a laboratory notebook, and read and evaluate scientific literature. Establishing partnerships with local medical schools or clinical facilities are highly recommended to achieve the program’s goals. Research seminars and journal clubs: The curriculum should include a science lecture series, offering students the opportunity to engage with the institution’s faculty and distinguished local scientists, while exploring various scientific fields and emerging technologies. Programs are also highly encouraged to host a weekly scientific journal club with informal discussions about current events related to scientific developments and human health. For the high school track only, the curriculum must include a Traditional Knowledge component that must be presented by a member of the Native community. For the undergraduate track only, the curriculum must include discussions on community health in various areas of biology, including neuroscience, to learn how health in different communities is affected by different diseases and medical conditions that are often more prevalent in rural and densely populated communities. Professional development and academic support: The program should provide students with academic support, mentorship, and career readiness seminars on topics such as time management, scientific writing, oral communication, leadership skills, resume building, how to present a poster, writing a cover letter, and applying to summer research programs. Enrichment activities offered during the academic year should offer activities related to mentoring opportunities, professional development, college readiness, career exploration, or preparation for applying to the summer research programs in future years. Contracted sites are expected to host a cohort of 10-15 students each year (base and option year). Possible topics for a program will be provided in the attached sample curriculum, but each offeror is expected to tailor the curriculum to their student population, career level, and the existing resources at the institution. Only in-person or hybrid (combination of in-person and virtual) programs will be considered. The

objective of this contract is to provide comprehensive training to high school students from AI/AN communities and undergraduate students from RLIs, equipping them with the necessary research experience to become competitive applicants to summer research programs at the NIH or other research research-intensive institutions following completion of the NIH GROW program. Broad