Provide scholarships to talented disadvantaged undergraduates to encourage biomedical research careers¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 1 claim (1 mixed) · 2 studies (1 causal, 1 associational), q2 · 0 of 2 report an effect size

Description¶

The strategy is to award competitive scholarships to highly talented undergraduate science students from disadvantaged backgrounds in order to encourage them to pursue biomedical research careers. The NIH uses this approach, spending millions of dollars each year on such scholarships, and an evaluation found scholars progressing toward research careers at higher rates than comparable non-awarded applicants.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Funding to support multi-year scholarships
• A highly talented applicant pool from disadvantaged backgrounds

Constraints¶

Target Learners¶

• undergraduate science students from disadvantaged backgrounds

Target Learning Goals¶

• entry into biomedical research careers

Claims¶

• NIH Undergraduate Scholarship Program scholars progress toward biomedical research careers at substantially higher rates than finalists who were not awarded scholarships [~W]

Related Strategies¶

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Steven Glazerman, Neil Seftor, Jesse Gregory. (2005). The NIH Undergraduate Scholarship Program: Career Outcomes of Scholars and Non-Awarded Finalists. Washington, DC: Mathematica Policy Research. https://www.mathematica.org/publications/the-nih-undergraduate-scholarship-program-career-outcomes-of-scholars-and-nonawarded-finalists