# BRAINS: Broadening the Representation of Academic Investigators in NeuroSciences - A national program to increase the advancement of neuroscience researchers from diverse backgrounds

> **NIH NIH R25** · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · 2024 · $269,984

## Abstract

The BRAINS (Broadening the Representation of Academic Investigators in NeuroScience) Program,
established in 2011, explicitly addresses the inclusion, retention, and advancement of early career (post Ph.D.
to pre-tenure) neuroscientists from historically underrepresented and marginalized groups (URMGs: individuals
from marginalized racial and ethnic identities and persons with disabilities). BRAINS has pioneered a unique
cohort-based professional development approach that positively impacts participants’ career trajectories,
especially in academic neuroscience, by building a community of neuroscience peers1,2, enabling mentoring
networks3,4, activating participants’ cultural capital1, and increasing participants’ career self-efficacy5. The
success of BRAINS is evident by our findings that 90% of the 144 participants continue to remain in
neuroscience careers. Moreover, 50% are currently in tenure track positions, compared to 24% at time of
joining BRAINS. With this renewal application, Aim 1 seeks to build on the successes of BRAINS by
expanding our program through an increase in the number of the BRAINS community participants, as well as
deepening the engagement of all participants with core BRAINS skills and concepts. When compared to other
national professional development programs, the BRAINS program stands out in terms of the extent to which
BRAINS participants continue to engage deeply with the community long after their first year in the program. In
its first decade, evaluation data show that BRAINS programming is a consistent transformational and
foundational resource for its participants. Thus, the BRAINS program is uniquely positioned to explore and
identify the essential factors that increase retention of neuroscientists from URMGs in academic and
nonacademic science careers. Therefore, in Aim 2, we will introduce a new 10-year evaluation instrument to
help us to better understand why the program is impactful and what sticks with participants as they progress
through their careers. In summary, these Aims will allow BRAINS to expand in terms of participant numbers
and in terms of continuing to empower over 200 neuroscientists from URMGs to thrive and advance in their
careers. Further, this work will shed new light on the important factors that can improve the long term retention
of neuroscientists from URMGs in science careers, which in turn can inform the development of future
programs and institutional policies aimed at increasing the retention of URM scientists in biomedical careers.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10744795
- **Project number:** 5R25NS094094-08
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
- **Principal Investigator:** SHERI J. Y. MIZUMORI
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $269,984
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-12-01 → 2026-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10744795

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10744795, BRAINS: Broadening the Representation of Academic Investigators in NeuroSciences - A national program to increase the advancement of neuroscience researchers from diverse backgrounds (5R25NS094094-08). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10744795. Licensed CC0.

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