# Increasing Diversity in Experiential Research Education at Michigan State University

> **NIH NIH R25** · MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $93,909

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Population-specific differences in the presence of disease, health outcomes, or access to healthcare are
termed “health disparities” and they are a significant concern in our society. Lack of representation of the
underserved groups—which includes minorities, financially disadvantaged, and disabled individuals—in the
biomedical research and healthcare workforce has been identified as a critical factor underlying health
disparities. Indeed, disparities in the demographics of individuals entering careers in biomedical research are
well documented. Biomedical knowledge and healthcare will benefit from broader inclusion of
underrepresented individuals engaged in biomedical research as inclusive research teams have broader
perspectives in setting research agendas, can more effectively recruit diverse subjects into clinical research
studies, and work more effectively to deliver healthcare and reduce health disparities. Experiential learning by
active engagement in research is an effective way to nurture the next generation of scientists and health care
researchers. Veterinarians conduct research important to human health through comparative studies and
animal models; unfortunately the racial and ethnic diversity in the veterinary profession is no better than that of
the biomedical research workforce in general. Thus, this proposal is designed to recruit and comprehensively
immerse both undergraduate and veterinary medical students from underrepresented groups in summer
research experiences on the campus of Michigan State University. These research experiences will be focused
on three major areas: hypertension, airway disease and blood cells and components in tissue pathology. The
objective of our education research program is to increase the number of students from underrepresented
groups who pursue biomedical research-related educational goals and career paths relevant to the mission
areas of the NHLBI. The strategy to meet this objective involves 1) providing student participants an
immersive research experience that exposes them to the various aspects of a research career, 2) cultivating
participants' science identity by facilitating the development of mentor and peer networks, and creating a
community that supports the participants' research-related interests, and 3) fostering the participants'
successes so as to give them the confidence needed to pursue a research-related career. This strategy will be
implemented through the following specific aims: (1) engage undergraduate and veterinary medical students
in high-quality mentored research in the areas of heart, lung, and blood diseases; (2) provide comprehensive
exposure to the various aspects of biomedical research through an organized program of activities; (3) bolster
the trainees' understanding of the critical concepts of responsible conduct of research; (4) recruit trainees from
populations underrepresented in the biomedical sciences; and (5) conduct comprehensive eva...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10323688
- **Project number:** 5R25HL103156-12
- **Recipient organization:** MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Susan L Ewart
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $93,909
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2010-06-01 → 2026-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10323688

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10323688, Increasing Diversity in Experiential Research Education at Michigan State University (5R25HL103156-12). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10323688. Licensed CC0.

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