Keystone Symposia proposes to enhance opportunities for under-represented minority (URM) trainees and researchers in biomedicine through the unique and transformative environment at Keystone Symposia, a mission-driven nonprofit organization that develops and implements small high-powered meetings in the life sciences. In turn, Keystone Symposia anticipates continuing its own profound transformation, one that better positions the organization to achieve its mission: connecting the scientific community for the benefit of humankind. More specifically, the goals of this program are high levels of participation by scientists and trainees from URM groups as attendees, speakers, organizers and scientific advisors at Keystone Symposia and its meetings;an environment of inclusivity, community and ownership for all attendees at Keystone Symposia meetings;delivery of new knowledge, tools, and opportunities for developing collaborations and contacts that have an impact on research and careers;and developing Keystone Symposia into a national resource for diversity in the life science community. These goals will be achieved by 1) providing financial resources to support meeting attendance;2) networking and other outreach directed at both communicating the value of Keystone Symposia and identifying URM scientists and trainees whose research careers are likely to benefit from participating at Keystone Symposia;3) catalyzing and fostering engagement of URM scientists and trainees through community-building activities;4) the Keystone Symposia Fellows Program, which provides opportunities for newer investigators with an interest in URM participation in life science research to shadow the meeting development process at Keystone Symposia;5) clear and meaningful mechanisms for feedback by URM participants;and 6) developing approaches that can be shared with the life science community via publications, presentations, and the Keystone Symposia website. This program will provide participants with unique and powerful knowledge, skills, and networking opportunities needed to thrive in biomedical research careers. We further anticipate that this program will enhance the quality of Keystone Symposia and its ability to achieve its mission of connecting the life science community for the benefit of humankind.
Enhancing biomedical research and career opportunities for under-represented minority (URM) trainees and researchers will better position the US to reap the benefits of more diverse experiences and approaches to solving health problems. Moreover, URM scientists are likely to be more familiar with and more inclined to address pressing health challenges within URM communities.
| King, Laina (2012) Taking diversity programs to the next level. Trends Mol Med 18:699-701 |
