• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
Choose which site to search.
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Logo University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Translational Research Institute
  • UAMS Health
  • Jobs
  • Giving
  • About TRI
    • What We Offer
    • Leadership & Governance
    • Staff
    • Cite TRI
    • What is Translational Research?
    • Contact TRI
  • Funding Opportunities
    • Grants
      • Pilot Award Program
      • CTSA Multi-Institutional Pilot Award Program
      • Data Science Scholars Program
      • Team Science Voucher Program
      • Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute Rural Research Award Program
    • Scholarships
      • KL2 Mentored Research Career Development Scholar Awards Program
      • HSIE (TL1) Training Program
      • Implementation Science Scholar Program
      • (STARs) Program – Strategies for Training and Advancing under-represented Researchers
      • MS-CTS Scholarship Program
    • Community
      • Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) Scholars Program
      • Community Partners Educated as Arkansas Research Leaders (CPEARL) Program
    • Awardee Responsibilities
  • Services & Resources
    • Services
      • Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Research Design (BERD) Consultation
      • Clinical Data Repository (AR-CDR)
      • Comprehensive Informatics Resource Center (CIRC)
      • Mock Study Sections
      • Research Participant Recruitment
      • Research Support/Clinical Trials Innovation Unit (CTIU)
      • The Center for Implementation Research
      • Research Ethics Consultation
    • Resources
      • ARresearch Registry
      • Center for Health Literacy
      • Data Safety Monitoring
      • UAMS Profiles
      • UAMS Rural Research Network
      • Other Resources
      • COVID-19 Research Guidelines
  • Training & Education
    • Scholarship Opportunities
      • KL2 Mentored Research Career Development Scholar Awards Program
      • HSIE (TL1) Training Program
      • Data Science Scholars Program
      • Implementation Science Scholar Program
      • MS-CTS Scholarship Program
      • Translational Research Innovations and Partners (TRIP) Program
    • Training & Educational Opportunities
      • innOVATION Seminar Series
      • Path 2 K Program
      • Translational Workforce Development
      • Graduate Certificate in Implementation Science
      • Master’s Program in Clinical and Translational Sciences (MS-CTS)
      • Good Clinical Practice Training
    • Video/Knowledge Library
    • Didactic Training
    • Diversity Initiatives
  • Community
    • Community Engagement Leadership
    • Community Advisory Board
    • Community Engagement Partners
      • Community Partner Celebration
    • Community Engagement Services
      • Consultations and Technical Assistance
      • Community Review Boards
      • Arkansas Community Researcher Training (ArCRT)
      • Equipment Library
    • Integrating Special Populations
    • Programs and Funding
      • Community Partners Educated as Arkansas Research Leaders (CPEARL) Program
      • Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) Scholars Program
      • Community Scientist Academy
    • Toolkits
      • CPEARL Toolkit
      • CSA Online Toolkit
  • Events
  • Newsroom
  1. University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
  2. Translational Research Institute
  3. Funding Opportunities
  4. (STARs) Program – Strategies for Training and Advancing under-represented Researchers

(STARs) Program – Strategies for Training and Advancing under-represented Researchers

View the current RFA here.

Background

Research shows that diverse teams working together and capitalizing on innovative ideas and distinct perspectives outperform homogenous teams.1 Scientists and trainees from diverse backgrounds and life experiences bring different perspectives, creativity, Research shows that diverse teams working together and capitalizing on innovative ideas and distinct perspectives outperform homogenous teams. Scientists and trainees from diverse backgrounds and life experiences bring different perspectives, creativity, and individual enterprise to address complex scientific problems. Benefits that flow from a diverse scientific workforce include fostering scientific innovation, enhancing global and national competitiveness, contributing to robust learning environments for our students, improving research quality, advancing the likelihood that underserved populations participate in, and benefit from health research. For example, underrepresented minority (URM) patients are more likely to choose a URM physician and are more satisfied with their care when a URM physician leads it. In spite of advanced research, minority faculty still have inequitable access to information, professional development and research resources. The problem is not unique to UAMS, it is a societal problem across institutions and funding agencies. Grant award probability of African American principal investigators (PIs) still remains at 55% that of White PIs with similar academic achievement. A structured research-mentoring program could help strengthen the research acumen of minority faculty, provide a community of belonging and real support to ensure their success in becoming independent investigators.

The TRI-DDEI STARs Program

The TRI-DDEI STARs program aims to build a peer support community of URM faculty in Biomedical, Clinical, Behavioral and Social Sciences Research to support career development and research success. This will be done by:

  • Establishing of a structured peer support group who engage in a 3-month program of grant training and development. This model addresses issues of isolation often felt by URM faculty in academic settings. It also provides and encourages the development of innovative research ideas in a safe environment. This peer support group can also help improve confidence and self-efficacy in clinical and translational research development and execution by under-represented faculty.
  • Providing practical research skill development and grantsmanship.
  • Offering access to research mentors and research support services, i.e. IRB protocol development, recruitment, etc.
  • Supplying $10,000 in funding as a TRI DEI Equity, Diversity, and Grantsmanship Expertise (EDGE) research project.

Eligibility

  • Eligible participants should have a terminal degree; must be full-time faculty at UAMS, UAMS-NW, ACH/ACRI, or CAVHS who hold non-temporary positions at the rank of Instructor, Assistant Professor, or Associate Professor; and must be a US citizen or permanent resident.
  • Faculty must meet the NIH definition of under representation in Biomedical, Clinical, Behavioral and Social Sciences Research

If you would like more information or have questions, please contact Paul Duguid at pduguid@uams.edu.

TRI and DDEI missions can be found at ddei.uams.edu and and https://tri.uams.edu, respectively.

Translational Research Institute LogoTranslational Research InstituteTranslational Research Institute
Mailing Address: 4301 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72205
Phone: (501) 686-7000
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Statement

© 2023 University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences