REPORT OF THE NAGMS COUNCIL
MORE DIVISION WORKING GROUP

Charge to the Group

The National Advisory General Medical Sciences (NAGMS) Council MORE Division Working Group was formed to provide guidance to the NAGMS Council with regard to the programs of the MORE (Minority Opportunities in Research) Division. The Working Group was asked to review the original mandates, the current rationales, and the objectives of the existing MORE programs. They were also asked to make recommendations to the NAGMS Council in terms of existing programs and future initiatives.

The group met on August 18-19, 2005 and May 17, 2006, with a teleconference on April 26, 2006

Clarify the goals of the MORE program

The emphasis of the MORE programs should be to increase the number of URM students with Ph.D.'s with an emphasis to increase the number of faculty in colleges and universities.
The primary focus of MORE programs should be the training of students and post-doctoral fellows.
MORE programs at non-research minority serving institutions should be used primarily to support teaching and developing research competence at these schools.
To increase awareness that MORE program funding for student training can be accessed by all institutions that educate and train URM.

Evaluation

NIGMS must do a better job of documenting outcomes and evaluating the success of its individual programs.

With utmost urgency to collect information that can inform expected and projected outcomes and to guide assessment.
Establish a standing advisory committee of NAGMS for URM training across all NIGMS programs

Incorporate MORE programs into NIGMS research divisions

All NIGMS programs should identify ways to incorporate the goals of the MORE division into their own programs.

Undergraduate Research Opportunities for
minority students

Establish formal partnerships between MSI and Teaching and Research Intensive Institutions to promote research opportunities for students at non research MSI.
Expand programs supporting research opportunities for minority students at majority institutions.
Development of a faculty career award to support faculty efforts to promote diversity.
It is the obligation of all research grants to provide undergraduate research opportunities.
Broadly publicize that multiple undergraduate minority supplements per research grant are encouraged.

Graduate & Postdoctoral Research Opportunities

NIGMS should do more to increase the number of URM in top ranked graduate programs.
Emphasis that URM graduate students are placed in highly competitive and well mentored postdoctoral positions.
Analysis of faculty hiring patterns at colleges and universities.
Multiple graduate and postdoctoral supplements per research grant

Promote "Gateways to Faculty" positions

Support the transition of URM scientists from postdoctoral fellow to faculty member. Recommend a parallel K22 path for URM faculty at majority or minority institutions.

Evaluation of programs

To increase the number of URM involvement in NIGMS programs by 10% per year to achieve a potential doubling of URM faculty in 8 yrs.
Create an NIH-wide office of training statistics to include minority data.

Roster of MORE Working Group
(*member of NAGMS council)

Virginia Zakian, Ph.D. (co-chair)*
Professor of Molecular Biology
Department of Molecular Biology
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ 08544-1014
(609) 258-6770
@ princeton.edu

Valerie Wilson, Ph.D. (co-chair)
Executive Director, Leadership Alliance
Clinical Professor of Community Health
Brown University Medical School
15 Sayles Hall, Box 1963
Providence, RI 02912
(401) 863-9892

Carlos G. Gutierrez, Ph.D. (not present at meeting; contributed thoughts in writing)
Professor of Chemistry
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
California State University, Los Angeles
5151 State University Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90032
(323) 343-2356

Julius H. Jackson, Ph.D.
Professor of Microbiology
Department of Microbiology
Michigan State University
6178 BPS
East Lansing, MI 48824
517-355-1604

Sandra Harris-Hooker, Ph.D.
Associate Dean, Research Development
Office of Research Development
Morehouse School of Medicine
720 Westview Drive, SW
Atlanta, GA 30310-1495
(404) 752-1725

Jeffrey T. Mason, Ph.D.*
Chairman, Department of Biophysics
Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
Rockville, MD 20850
(301) 319-0043

Richard Morimoto, Ph.D.*
Professor of Molecular Biology
Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Cell Biology
Northwestern University
2153 Sheridan Rd
Evanston, IL 60208
(847) 491-3440

Reba N. Page, Ph.D.
Professor of Education
Graduate School of Education
University of California at Riverside
Sproul Hall 2128
Riverside, CA 92521
(951) 827-5238

Robert S. Pozos, Ph.D.
Professor
Department of Biology
San Diego State University
5500 Campanille Drive, Room 130 North Life Sciences
San Diego, CA 92182-4616
(619) 594-2581

Margaret C. Werner-Washburne, Ph.D.
Professor of Biology
Department of Biology
University of New Mexico
Castetter Hall 200
Albuquerque, NM 87131
(505) 277-9338

James H. Wyche, Ph.D.
Vice Provost for Academic Affairs
Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
1000 Statton Young Blvd, #221
Oklahoma City, OK 73117
(405) 271-2332