An essential part of our biomedical research program is increasing the number of students in the biomedical field and creating a pipeline for students interested in health careers to enter the state's workforce. To create this pipeline as part of our Research Training Core, we will first target diversity students enrolled in the University of Alaska (UA) system for recruitment into Institutional Development Award Network for Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE)-supported labs, with emphasis on Alaska Native People. We will familiarize students with INBRE by collaborating with UA programs that serve diversity students and facilitating informational sessions and presentations at parents' orientation, open houses, and other activities. The PI and Core lead will be integral to the recruitment process, as both represent diverse populations and serve as role models to students with similar backgrounds. To appeal to a variety of students, we will communicate the breadth of career options (from public health counselor to doctorate to health degrees (nursing, pharmacy, veterinarian, physicians and their assistants) to lab technician) for which early science training is an important preparatory step. Our curriculum will reflect evifence based training, as a meas to prepare students for evidence based research and medical practices. To retain students in the INBRE program, we will support funded training opportunities including individualized training plans and workshops for professional development. Additionally, we will enhance the state-wide biomedical curriculum by proposing three new degrees utilizing existing curricula, including a minor and graduate certificate in biomedical research, as well as a five-year BS/MS program in biomedical sciences. By accomplishing these goals, we will provide hands-on research experiences to, and establish training and career development activities for, participating students at primarily undergraduate institutions, community colleges, and diversityserving institutions; Alaska INBRE will serve as a pipeline to health research careers. As a long-term outcome, increasing the number of well-trained and well-educated students into the biomedical workforce will reduce the risk to people living in rural Alaska by improving knowledge and health care in the population.
While Alaska has one of the best health care delivery systems when compared to other circumpolar rural areas, there is room to improve our adaptive capacity, monitor our environment, and reduce risk in rural areas. By providing hands-on training, educational, and professional development opportunities to students in the UA system, we will increase the number of trainees pursuing health careers in the state, thereby improving knowledge and health care in the nonulation.
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