This application outlines Seattle Biomedical Research Institute's (SBRI) investigation of the impact of an innovative science immersion program called the BioQuest Academy (BQA). The investigation builds upon a 2-year pilot program and its documented results. SBRI seeks Phase I and Phase II funding support from the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) to amplify prior success with 58 participating 11th grade high school students from socio-economically and ethnically varied Washington state communities. The proposed 5-year research project will strategically expand the proven pilot BQA-resulting in greater understanding of the best practices for a science immersion program with a biomedical focus;delivering new print and online resources for a local and national audience;and providing direct benefits for the 180 participating teens from a spectrum of communities. Designed with a goal to provide young adults who demonstrate science predilection with access to authentic biomedical research, thereby promoting confidence and skills early in their scientific career pathways, the pilot BQA responds to the published concerns regarding national trends in science;and the mounting anxiety regarding the lack of real world, career-preparative experiences for youth. The proposed 5-year investigation responds to published recommendations for after-school programs, the desires most frequently expressed by pilot BQA graduates for longer sessions and enduring contact with SBRI: Foremost BQA will foster science career interest. SBRI is poised to take a significant role in increasing public understanding of how the life sciences can have a direct, positive impact on lives around the world, while illuminating the science that underlies SBRI's mission to eliminate the world's most devastating infectious diseases through leadership in scientific discovery. With National Center for Research Resource's investment in a strategically expanded BQA, SBRI can demonstrate to tomorrow's leaders, firsthand, how they personally can change the world for the better through scientific research.
| Gervassi, Ana L; Collins, Laura J; Britschgi, Theresa B (2010) Global health: a successful context for precollege training and advocacy. PLoS One 5:e13814 |
