In the first year of receiving COMPASS funds, we undertook several activities to advance recruitment including advertising for the program in several spaces on campus, e.g. digital billboard at the UCI student services building. We also had the SCRC faculty teaching undergrads send out fliers and announce the program in their freshman classes (faculty in engineering, the arts, public health, and biology). In addition, our Executive Committee member, Dr. Kevin Huie, who is involved with Undergraduate Success sent out an email announcement with the flyer to all undergraduates. UCI Campus undergraduate advisors also sent out email announcements to their students.
From April 10th to May 19th, we received 52 applications that were reviewed by our review committee. Using a rubric that scored the quality and depth of the applicant's answers and recording if the applicants were in the demographic that was appropriate for the COMPASS Scholars program. All applicants were reviewed by at least 2 reviewers. Upon completion of the application review process, we paired the applicant list down to the top 20% (10 applicants). Our interview committee then conducted interviews outside of normal business hours to accommodate the student’s busy schedules from May 24th to May 30th. The interview committee then deliberated and selected the top 10% (5 candidates) for the COMPASS Scholars’ program. Award letters and contracts were sent out on June 2nd.
Our COMPASS Scholars are required to complete: 1) a 10-week integrative summer bootcamp training, 2) three didactic requirements in Regenerative Medicine and Scientific Method, Public Health Disparities, Sociology, Political Science, and/or Bioethics, 3) two years of research under a mentor, 4) Good Manufacturing Practice and Clinical Research Coordination certificate programs, and 5) completing a capstone project. We are tracking their progress throughout the program to make sure they fulfill their requirements by the end of the two-year scholarship period.
The 10-week summer bootcamp was scheduled for June 26th to September 1st. The COMPASS scholars all moved into the summer housing on June 25, 2023.
Summer Research Education Training Program Committee (SRETPC): consisted of Dr. Brian Cummings, the PI of the COMPASS grant, Dr. Dana Creasman, a postdoc who led the wet lab exercises, Dr. Monique Williams, the Academic Coordinator who led the execution of the program and the morning sessions and assisted in the wet lab exercises. Dr. Aileen Anderson, the SCRC Director. Dr. Jonathan Hasslemann, a postdoc who helped plan sessions, coordinated with the Stem Cell Core manager, and served as a guest instructor in the wet lab exercises. Allia Fawaz, the microscopy core and building manager, lead the microscopy training sessions. Anita Lakatos, the CRISPR core manager, lead the statistics sessions. Vanessa Scarfone, the Flow Cytometry Core manager, lead the flow cytometry sessions. Pauline Nguyen, a flow cytometry core assistant, assisted Vanessa during the flow cytometry sessions. Christina Tu, the Stem Cell Core manager, was the instructor for the cell culture sessions. Additional staff that were part of the strategic planning included: 1) Randy Berg, the CAO, and lead pre-award and arranged housing, 2) Abbie Enriquez, project analyst, assisted Monique in any activities, 3) Rachelle Narvas, project analyst, assisted in the planning of activities, and 4) Chris Nishi, the Financial Officer for the grant provided accounting and budget support.
Tracking Scholar Progress and Assessment of Retention throughout the Program: Since retention is important to the success of the program, we tracked how the scholars were feeling through a feedback form that was sent out each week. We encouraged the scholars to fill in the form to let us know how they were feeling: overall, about their interactions between the instructors/cohort, about the different sessions that week, and to share anything they felt we needed to know. At the end of the program, we had the scholars debrief with us in person and in survey form.
We were successful in launching the program, but we had to put the program together quickly. The Academic Coordinator, Dr. Monique Williams, was hired in May of 2023. With her efforts alongside the SRETPC, we were able to create a 10-week integrative training program for the summer of 2023 in record time. For next cycle, we have plans to address these challenges. We intend to start advertising the application process much earlier to give ample time to get more applicants from all demographics, additional time to review the increased number of expected applications and prepare a more detailed training program. In addition, we have learned that it would be better to notify the next cohort of their acceptance into the COMPASS program earlier so that they can adjust their summer house and summer courses accordingly.
Grant Application Details
Application Title:
Research Mentorship Program in Regenerative Medicine Careers for a Diverse Undergraduate Student Body
Statement of Benefit to California:
Our experience with first-generation and under-served students across multiple CIRM Bridges programs documents that these students progress to successful careers in regenerative medicine and that the vast majority of Bridges Interns remain in the state of California. So too, we believe our COMPASS Scholar’s Program will prepare a diverse cadre of undergraduates for careers in regenerative medicine, targeting untapped talent within populations that are historically under-represented in the biomedical sciences. By teaching general research, networking, and communication skills to at risk undergraduates, and combining these skills with hands-on training in stem cell biology and public outreach, we will be supplying California with a well-trained workforce of COMPASS Scholars ready for successful careers in public health and regenerative medicine.
Our program will give Scholars the opportunity to explore a variety of ways in which their research skills can be applied towards improving human health through career paths in both the public and private sectors. A parallel objective is to foster greater awareness and appreciation of diversity, equity and inclusion in trainees, mentors, and other program participants. There are shortages of individuals skilled in stem cell manufacture and good manufacturing procedures; there are shortages of Clinical Research Coordinators who help establish clinical trials and enroll/track patients in those trials. The more diverse these individuals are, the better they will connect with a diverse patient population and bring a wider range of patients into the clinical trial pipeline. The COMPASS Program will produce a cadre of well-trained individuals who are ready to contribute to the workforce.
Further, there is a graduation “gap” between first generation and under-served undergraduates and their second generation or more socioeconomically stable peers. The UC accountability office calculated that this graduation rate gap means that students graduating in four years as opposed to six will have $100,000 to $150,000 reduced educational expenses and additional wages. We expect that the vast majority of our COMPASS Scholars will graduate in four years, saving themselves and their families via reduced college costs and loans, and putting tax dollars back into California’s economy as they begin careers in high paying jobs. If we reduce the excess time to graduate in half (~$62,5000) for our 25 Scholars, this would return a benefit of $1,562,500 to the State of California over the course of this grant.
