Outreach and Mentoring Opportunities
Diversification of the HIV research workforce is essential in order to improve the relevance of HIV research to communities most affected by HIV; to facilitate creative, novel, and context-specific approaches to reaching all people at risk for and living with HIV; and ultimately end the HIV epidemic. Black and Latinx researchers are markedly underrepresented in biomedical research in general, and HIV research in particular. People who are underrepresented in medicine (URiM) face specific barriers to participation in HIV research at all stages of their education and training, from early school-age years through graduate school, fellowship, and faculty positions. These barriers include lack of exposure to research opportunities, unavailable or insufficiently trained mentors, lack of support networks, and unconscious bias.
Members of the HU CFAR participate in multiple existing programs to train and mentor investigators who are URiM. These include conferences and symposia that encourage interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers, biomedical research, and HIV in particular, as well as programs that support students longitudinally.
For advice on how and which of the following programs to get involved, please contact:
Programs:
Biomedical Science Career Student Conference: Two-day conference for >1,000 Black, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian/Alaska Native participants from high school through postdoctoral training. Includes breakout and plenary sessions; keynote speakers; small group faculty/trainee meetings, and networking opportunities with representatives from NIH, industry, and academia.
New England Science Symposium: Two-day symposium for Black, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian/Alaska Native students from community college through graduate/medical/dental school. Includes opportunities to share research through poster and oral presentations (with technical support for preparation), discussions on career development, and keynote speakers.
Fostering Diversity in HIV Research: This program, for HIV ESIs at any Harvard-affiliated institution who identify as URM, provides structured mentoring from MGH and SPH faculty, formal didactics and community of practice events, individual mentor pairings, and funding for project support, travel, and publication. The program has served 18 trainees and involved 31 HU CFAR faculty to date, with HU CFAR support for workshops and trainees. This reflects a cross-CFAR collaboration in that it builds from the Mentoring the Mentor curriculum developed by Drs. Monica Gandhi, Jonathan Fuchs, and Mallory Johnson in the UCSF CFAR.
Ragon Institute Summer Experience (RISE): This program at the Ragon Institute (an MGH-, Harvard-, and MIT-affiliated Institute dedicated to immunologic research to prevent and cure human disease) provides internships and didactic teaching to high school students from the Boston area. Dr. Ghebremichael is a RISE mentor and supports program planning and expansion.
MGH Youth Scholars Program: Opportunities for academic coaching, social and emotional support, and scholarships are available for MGH Youth Scholar alumni. Program for grade 9-12 students in Boston, Chelsea, and Revere, providing mentorship, research and internship opportunities, and college and workforce preparedness training. Since 2012, the program has served 186 students: all 186 graduated from high school, 161 pursued post-secondary education, 53 have graduated from college, 7 have obtained graduate degrees, and 17 engaged in full-time employment in the Mass General Brigham Healthcare system.
BWH Research Infectious Disease (ID) and Global Engagement (BRIDGE): With support from both BWH and the HU CFAR, this new program pairs interns undergraduates and medical students with ID faculty mentors for 8-week summer internships. The program includes didactic sessions on research skills, clinical conferences, and project and career mentoring. Stipends for housing, meals, and transport are provided. BRIDGE is led by Dr. Shahin Lockman (HU CFAR member), Dr. Sophia Koo and LaKeisha Gandy.
BWH Student Success Jobs Program (SSJP): This year-round program for 100 Boston high-school students (including public, private, vocational, and math/science schools) includes matching with a faculty mentor, peer networking, monthly seminars, math/science tutoring, support through college application and selection, financial scholarships, summer internships in BWH departments aligned with student career interest, and a published guide for employers to support youth employment.
MGH COVID Corps: This 6-week summer program is geared toward historically underrepresented college students in the biomedical research sciences. Participants can receive extensive scientific skills training with Harvard Medical School faculty, resulting in an end-of-summer capstone with an abstract and poster presentation and virtual networking events and seminars on applying to graduate/medical school.
BWH/Meharry: Brigham and Women’s Hospital collaborates with Meharry Medical College to provide matches between faculty and medical students on a longitudinal basis. Students are matched based on a pre-filled assessment of specialty interest, career goals, and characteristics of a faculty mentor they would prefer. Based on these comments, BWH staff from the office of Diversity and Inclusion match volunteer faculty members with medical students. Students and faculty are expected to set up meetings to provide periodic mentoring as students progress through medical school.
SPARC (Summer Program to Advance Research Careers): This program, in partnership with the University of Massachusetts at Boston (UMB) and the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, is a 12-week intensive research experience focused on emerging technologies in cancer and cancer disparities. Undergraduates will be selected from UMB and local community colleges to obtain extensive scientific skills training and experience in composing and delivering presentations. HU CFAR member Dr. Engelman works closely with this program.
CURE (Continuing Umbrella of Research Experience): Program for Massachusetts high school and college students from underrepresented populations that introduces them to the world of cancer research by placing them in real research settings at local cancer research institutions. Features include a full-time, hands-on summer experience in a cancer research environment and scientific and professional/career development seminars with researchers. HU CFAR member Dr. Engelman works closely with this program.
MGH Summer Research Trainee Program: This program pairs students historically underrepresented in medicine with a Massachusetts General faculty member to provide guidance and mentorship in a new or ongoing research project. Assignments are carefully considered and are made with the student’s research and career interests in mind. In addition to this unique experience, students will gain knowledge through weekly seminars at MGH, attend career development workshops and networking events, and have opportunities for clinical shadowing.
BWH Summer Training in Academic Research and Scholarship (STARS) Program: The Summer Training in Academic Research and Scholarship (STARS) Program is a distinguished summer research opportunity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital for underrepresented in medicine (URiM) undergraduate rising juniors and seniors, and first-year medical students with a strong interest in pursuing advanced careers as research scientists, physicians and/or health care professionals. The program recruits students from around the US into an eight-week mentored summer program. Students participate in intensive hands-on training in research methods and practice directly in the labs of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School’s leading researchers.
Summer Honors Undergraduate Research Program (SHURP): SHURP is a ten-week summer program offered by the Division of Medical Sciences at Harvard Medical School and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. It seeks to provide underrepresented minority college students an opportunity to gain training and mentorship in scientific research. Participants will conduct 10 weeks of paid, scholarly research under the guidance of a faculty or research mentor and attend professional development workshops and research discussions.
BWH/MGH Menu of Opportunities: A menu of experiences for year-round involvement in BWH and MGH Youth Programming.