# AGA FORWARD PROGRAM - Fostering Opportunities Resulting in Workforce and Research Diversity

> **NIH NIH R25** · AMERICAN GASTROENTEROLOGICAL ASSN/INST · 2024 · $145,015

## Abstract

PROJECT ABSTRACT
The pipeline of physician-scientists from underrepresented populations in the biomedical workforce remains
leaky. In gastroenterology, only 4 percent of academic faculty are African American, and 6 percent are
Hispanic/Latinx. American Indian/Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian physicians represent less than 0.2
percent of all academic faculty positions. These numbers are significantly lower than the representation of
these groups within the overall U.S. population. A 2020 survey conducted by the Intersociety Group for
Diversity, a working group of representatives from five digestive disease professional associations including
the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA), illustrated that the primary impediment to success for
physician-scientists from underrepresented populations remains a lack of effective and accessible mentoring.
AGA has a long and successful record of professional development programs designed to improve the
diversity of the research workforce in gastroenterology. AGA has implemented NIDDK-funded programs to
promote the recruitment and retention of underrepresented physician-scientists in gastroenterology since 2001.
Our current program, FORWARD began in 2018 and has demonstrated success in advancing the diversity of
the biomedical workforce with a focus on research skills development, leadership skills development, and
effective mentoring. This competitive renewal application, FORWARD 2.0, proposes to leverage the successes
of the original program with an enhanced focus on 1) manuscript writing and grant-writing training for both
program alumni and current cohorts with tracks specific to NIH K or R01 grant writing, 2) leadership
development and support focused on training and transitioning alumni and current cohort participants to
assume leadership positions within AGA's professional society committee structures and academic medicine
and 3) intensive mentoring from an expanded team of mentors, including senior mentors, home institution
mentors and near-peer mentors, and using mobile app-based mentoring technology.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10840451
- **Project number:** 5R25DK118761-07
- **Recipient organization:** AMERICAN GASTROENTEROLOGICAL ASSN/INST
- **Principal Investigator:** Byron Cryer
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $145,015
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-07-01 → 2029-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10840451

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10840451, AGA FORWARD PROGRAM - Fostering Opportunities Resulting in Workforce and Research Diversity (5R25DK118761-07). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10840451. Licensed CC0.

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