CANDIDATE ELIGIBILITY STATEMENT Application for Research Supplement to parent grant: PI Sally L. Baxter, MD, MSc, Grant DP5OD029610 Diversity Candidate: Sonali Bhanvadia (Postbaccalaureate Scholar) This letter is to certify that Sonali Bhanvadia is an eligible candidate for the diversity supplement support requested by Sally Baxter, MD, MSc, according to information in PA-20-222 “Research Supplements to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research (Admin Supp - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)” and the Notice of NIH’s Interest in Diversity (NOT-OD-20-031). The University of California San Diego (UCSD) certifies that Sonali Bhanvadia satisfies the eligibility criteria as follows: 1. Sonali Bhanvadia is a United States citizen. 2. Sonali Bhanvadia is a woman with no parents or legal guardians who have completed a bachelor’s degree, was eligible for the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program for two or more years, and received Federal Pell grants for all 4 years of her undergraduate studies. Given the preceding criteria, Ms. Bhanvadia is a member of a group underrepresented in biomedical science. She has demonstrated an interest in and wishes to pursue research training in health-related sciences. 3. Sonali Bhanvadia is not currently receiving PHS research grant support and has not received such support in the past. UCSD is committed to diversity and inclusion, as illustrated by the core tenets of the Strategic Plan for Inclusive Excellence, released in July 2020: • Access and Success: Attract, retain, and support a diverse faculty, staff, and student body with the goal of reflecting California demographics and achieving institutional excellence at UC San Diego. • Climate: Create and foster a positive and welcoming climate where we value, include, and support all at UC San Diego. • Accountability: Ensure institutional accountability through processes and structures that strengthen UC San Diego's clear and continuous commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion. At the Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology and Shiley Eye Institute, we are also committed to upholding these tenets and promoting a diverse and inclusive environment for trainees, staff, and patients alike. We are actively pursuing recruitment of individuals from diverse backgrounds in line with NIH goals. Sonali Bhanvadia has already shown strong interest in research and academic success. She has taken advantage of educational and training opportunities and has excelled, despite being a first-generation college student coming from a financially disadvantaged background. We enthusiastically support this application. We are pleased to assist her in identifying available research training, associated coursework and peer-mentoring student groups and welcome her to our vibrant research community. She is an ideal candidate for diversity supplement funding, given her background and her promise for contributing to the biomedical research workforce in the future. __________________...