PRIDE-FTG Advances Academic Careers of Underrepresented Early-Stage Investigators Performing Blood Disorders Research Open Access

• PRIDE-FTG training enabled underrepresented early-stage investigators to achieve extramural grant funding and academic advancement.

• Expanded innovative early-career mentoring programs can enhance the diversity of the United States biomedical research workforce.

Despite improvements in the diversity of the United States biomedical research workforce, individuals from different racial/ethnic groups remain underrepresented. Even though mentoring is critical for career advancement, underrepresented faculty have limited opportunities. Therefore, we evaluated a multi-pronged mentoring approach for early-stage underrepresented faculty trained in the Programs to Increase Diversity Among Individuals Engaged in Health-Related Research-Functional and Translational Genomics of Blood Disorders. The selection process involved a rigorous review of applications, considering factors such as academic potential, research interests, and commitment to diversity in biomedical research. This year-long training experience includes two Summer Institutes consisting of lectures, grant-writing workshops, and laboratory practicums. In addition, a Mentoring Committee, comprised of research, career development, and peer-mentors, was established. The national Coordination Core collected program evaluations, grants, publications, and academic promotion data. Since 2007, PRIDE-FTG has trained 114 investigators, including 94 Black/African American investigators and 87 assistant professors; 65 mentees (57%) conducted research related to sickle cell disease. The primary outcome metric for PRIDE-FTG is the submission of an extramural National Institutes of Health or equivalent grant within two years of training completion. Seventy percent of 90 mentees achieved this metric and 44.4% was funded as principal investigators. Lastly, 55 mentees were promoted to higher academic ranks, and 90 mentees published 1,465 peer-reviewed manuscripts. Our data demonstrated the long-term impact of PRIDE-FTG training on the career advancement of early-stage underrepresented investigators. The success of this structured, mentored training program instills a sense of optimism about the future of diversity in our nation.