# Mentorship of Individuals from Historically Under-Represented Groups in Health Sciences Research

> **NIH NIH K26** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · 2023 · $70,209

## Abstract

Despite increased awareness and provision of resources, there remain significant disparities in the
demographics of the workforce in science, engineering, technology, and mathematics, medicine (STEMM).
These disparities are the result of a “leaky pipeline” in which there is attrition of certain historically
underrepresented groups at each stage of training and career advancement. In 2019-2020, 71% of doctoral
degrees in STEMM fields were awarded to individuals who were categorized as White race and ethnicity. In
2019, although a higher number of women obtained a doctoral degree in a STEMM field compared to men, more
than twice as many people employed in management or higher positions in the same fields were male compared
to female. Prior studies showed that diversity within teams has many benefits, including innovation and strong
information processing. Several conceptual frameworks have identified social supports that are mediated by
enhanced self-efficacy and scientific identity to improve persistence to pursue a career in a STEMM field. Career
development programs that offer evidence-based interventions that are rooted in these empirical models may
be an individual-level approach to increase representation of historically underrepresented groups in biomedical
sciences. The purpose of this project is to offer mentorship to early career trainees who are conducting research
within the mission of NIDDK. The potential impact of this project is increased representation of early-career
researchers from diverse backgrounds conducting research relevant to the priority areas of NIDDK. Specifically,
this project targets individuals who are at the predoctoral and postdoctoral level and pursuing the next phase of
progression towards becoming a Principal Investigator. The long-term potential implications include the potential
to realize both direct benefits for program scholars as well as broader indirect effects for future researchers.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10794080
- **Project number:** 1K26DK138247-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO
- **Principal Investigator:** Elena Flowers
- **Activity code:** K26 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $70,209
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2023-09-07 → 2028-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10794080

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10794080, Mentorship of Individuals from Historically Under-Represented Groups in Health Sciences Research (1K26DK138247-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10794080. Licensed CC0.

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