# BEST-DP: Biostatistics & Epidemiology Summer Training Diversity Program

> **NIH NIH R25** · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · 2022 · $83,104

## Abstract

The BEST (Biostatistics and Epidemiology Summer Training) Diversity Program provides research
opportunities in the quantitative health sciences of biostatistics and epidemiology, as applied to heart, lung,
blood, and sleep (HLBS) research. Our target audience comprises undergraduates who are under-represented
in biomedical research (those from disadvantaged backgrounds, racial and ethnic minorities, and individuals
with disabilities), and who will contribute to a more diverse research workforce in the future. Students will learn
to analyze data from research studies in heart, lung, blood, and sleep (HLBS) disorders. The program has
been running for the past 10 years, and has already successfully “graduated” 124 individuals: all 124 have
completed the program (100% retention), and the vast majority of alums (65-89%) are pursuing graduate study
and careers in the quantitative sciences and in biomedical research. We seek to continue the program and
recruit 14 students per year, whose training will include: a course in the fundamentals of biostatistics and
epidemiology; introduction to landmark research and current challenges in HLBS diseases and disorders;
enhancements to academic and professional skills via lectures on graduate school applications, resume
preparation, and interview skills, increasing the likelihood of acceptance to graduate programs; GRE
preparation; and interactions with other diversity programs at Columbia for mutual synergy and support. With
continued funding, we will make several major enhancements. First, we will extend BEST training to include 2
burgeoning areas of unparalleled importance to biomedical research: data science and precision medicine.
Columbia University has launched major initiatives in both areas, which we can leverage to enrich the BEST
curriculum and research experiences. Second, we will extend our “Research in Action” field trips, to expose
BEST students to a wider variety of career opportunities in academia, the pharmaceutical industry, and non-
profit research organizations. We will also continue to devote significant effort towards evaluation, to improve
the program. With a strong foundation built on the achievements and experience of running the BEST Program
for the past 10 years, and with extensive, multi-year input and feedback from students and participating faculty,
we are perfectly positioned to move ahead with a better, broader, and more comprehensive program spanning
careers in biostatistics and epidemiology. Through selected shared academic and social activities, BEST
participants will learn about career opportunities in biomedical research, and learn from one another about how
to collaborate with colleagues from diverse geographic, socioeconomic, and cultural backgrounds, thus
expanding the perspectives of all. Given these assets, Columbia's reputation as a major research hub, its
extensive portfolio in HLBS research, its expert faculty, its unique initiatives in data science and precision
medi...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10397152
- **Project number:** 5R25HL096260-14
- **Recipient organization:** COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES
- **Principal Investigator:** Melissa D Begg
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $83,104
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2009-05-15 → 2024-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10397152

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10397152, BEST-DP: Biostatistics & Epidemiology Summer Training Diversity Program (5R25HL096260-14). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10397152. Licensed CC0.

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