The Old Westbury Neuroscience International Research Program (OWNIP) is designed to encourage undergraduate students from health disparities populations to pursue careers in basic science, biomedical, clinical and behavioral health research fields. In this regard, the scientific training includes addressing international health problems since the proposed Minority Health and Health Disparities International Research Training (MHIRT) program of the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCMHD) and the Fogarty International Center (FIC) at Old Westbury will place these students in foreign research laboratories. This goal will be achieved by working with a team of international scientists that share joint research interests with the Old Westbury Neuroscience Research Institute (NRI) faculty providing our students with a broader vision of science. This collaboration will give the students a global perspective regarding science and different cultures while simultaneously enriching their academic experience. The College at Old Westbury is ideally suited to carry out this objective since it has over twenty years experience successfully training minority students in scientific research. The College has a multi-ethnic faculty and a diverse student population with a high percentage of minority students who choose science as a major. The OWNIP activities will include international travel for faculty and students, international visits by foreign scientists and research experience in foreign laboratories. All of these activities are programmed under the umbrella of the Neuroscience Research Institute.
The OWNIP purpose is to increase the minority representation in research by offering research training opportunities abroad in the biomedical and behavioral fields to minority science students. The objective is to increase the number and quality of these students who will pursue a career in basic science, biomedical and behavioral health research fields. Attaining this goal will also help affect a reduction in the health disparities gap.
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