# The Knox Scholars for Biomedical Research Program

> **NIH NIH R25** · HEALTH RESOURCES IN ACTION, INC. · 2020 · $246,326

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
 Although the health of Americans is improving, disparities of health remain. Differences in health status
are well documented across racial groups, and for a variety of diseases. For example, i
n 2013, Black
Americans continued to experience higher age-adjusted death rates than Whites and had double the rates of
death due to common preventable conditions: hypertension, suicide, and pneumonia and influenza.
Diversity
in scientific research benefits the workforce and society at large. Yet, researchers are more likely to be White,
potentially causing discomfort and reluctance among non-White individuals to join research studies. Members
of minority groups together constitute more than 30% of the U.S. population, however they represent less than
18% of clinical trial participants. In addition, in 2015, only 1.6% of all NIH Senior Investigators (tenured) were
Black, Non-Hispanic, and just 3.2% were Hispanic.
 Biomedical scientists typically develop their career interests in high school, but many high school
students, particularly in low-income communities, do not have equal access to the rigorous academic
preparation required for entry into the biomedical research field. This project aims to bridge the gap for high
school students of color, with a particular focus on Black and Hispanics, in the Greater Boston Area to provide
opportunities to receive vigorous academic and experiential stimulation over two years
 Program Title: LEAH - Knox Scholars in Biomedical Research program
 Goal: Attract and retain up to 230 (46 per year X 5) minority high school-aged sophomores, juniors and
seniors from the Greater Boston Area, over five years, into the field of biomedical science and research
through a two-year, didactic and experiential program combining a youth development approach, didactic
learning, laboratory work experiences, and mentorship opportunities.
 Specific Aims: (1) Engage participants in the world of biomedicine through exposure to interesting
activities, research, and professions in various biomedicine disciplines; (2) Retain their engagement in science
through a work-study opportunity in a professional MIT laboratory; (3) Sustain participants' interest in
science/biomedicine through mentorships with a professional scientist; (4) Provide peer-tutoring skills,
workforce development, and college readiness training to all participants.
 The primary anticipated outcome of this program is to create, implement, and disseminate a new
model to attract, retain and support minority students into the field of science will be developed, implemented
and ready for dissemination in other urban areas, which will, in time, increase the diversity of professional
research scientists in the United States. This program will incorporate the Next Generation Science
Standards into the summer lab program curriculum, addressing Goals 2 and 4.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9999592
- **Project number:** 5R25GM129224-04
- **Recipient organization:** HEALTH RESOURCES IN ACTION, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** Laurie Jo Wallace
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $246,326
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-09-01 → 2022-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9999592

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9999592, The Knox Scholars for Biomedical Research Program (5R25GM129224-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9999592. Licensed CC0.

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