# Making it real: Authentic scenario-based tools to improve DEIA mentorship of biomedical trainees

> **NIH NIH R25** · MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $59,667

## 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, such as racial and ethnic minorities, in the biomedical research and healthcare workforce
is a critical factor underlying health disparities. Indeed, disparities in the demographics of individuals entering
careers in biomedical research are well documented, with Black, Latinx, American Indian, and Pacific Islander
populations (among others) being historically underrepresented. Inclusive research teams benefit society by
having broader perspectives in setting research agendas, more effectively recruiting diverse subjects into
clinical research studies, and more effectively delivering healthcare and thus reducing health disparities.
Experiential learning by active engagement in research is an effective way to nurture the next generation of
biomedical researchers; this is the purpose of the parent grant, which supports the Biomedical Research for
University Students in Health Science (BRUSH) Summer Research Program at Michigan State University
(MSU). The BRUSH program gives undergraduate and veterinary students from historically underrepresented
populations the opportunity to participate in high-quality mentored research in a supportive environment
designed to increase their intention to and success in pursing research-related careers. One key factor in
providing an inclusive and supportive environment is effective mentoring. Such mentoring needs to be
intentional in terms of fostering environments in which students from historically underrepresented populations
can thrive. However, even in spaces where mentors are truly eager to be inclusive, barriers to participation and
persistence in the sciences are commonly faced by historically underrepresented students. Furthermore, these
barriers are reinforced by often well-intended individuals in the form of implicit biases, incomplete knowledge,
and discomfort with the work of being a good ally. To address these challenges, we have assembled a team of
experts and devised a plan to improve the research training environment by focusing on mentors and
mentoring. We plan to build a mentor training tool that is based on the authentic experiences of historically
underrepresented students in the BRUSH program. The proposed mentor training initiative involves a new
partnership between MSU, Howard University, and the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Research
Experiences (CIMER) based at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The objective of this proposal is to
increase mentors’ skills to fully support students and avoid unintended discouragement. The strategy to meet
this objective involves 1) gathering survey and interview data from BRUSH alumni to serve as the foundation
on which we will build a mentor training tool, 2) creating content for a mentor tr...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10605580
- **Project number:** 3R25HL103156-12S1
- **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:** $59,667
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2022-09-01 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10605580

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10605580, Making it real: Authentic scenario-based tools to improve DEIA mentorship of biomedical trainees (3R25HL103156-12S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10605580. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*