PROJECT SUMMARY The Haskell-KU Bridge V Program supports students from Haskell Indian Nations University who seek to develop careers in biomedical, bioengineering, behavioral and environmental health fields by transferring to the University of Kansas (KU) to access degree options not available at Haskell. This 20-year old program has a history of collaboration between institutions, as well as among other NIH- training and workforce development programs, to ensure a high rate of American Indian and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) achieve Bachelor’s degrees in STEM fields that can lead to biomedical careers. The overarching goal is for AI/AN trainees to see a place for themselves in bioscience careers, to build the skills and resources they need to succeed, and to create a compassionate community of mentors invested in the success of trainees. This vision is accomplished through four objectives, which may be conceptualized as forming a staircase to help students unlock their chosen bioscience career. First, the applicant pool will be expanded by increasing program visibility and appeal to the particular needs of AI/AN Haskell students (Objective 1). The program will produce well-trained AI/AN scientists through an integrated succession of skills training, mentored research, and professional development activities (Objective 2). Program activities are designed to build a strong cohort of trainees that develop a sense of science identity, self-efficacy, and connection with the KU and broader scientific community (Objective 3). KU mentors will be prepared for meeting the unique needs of Haskell trainees by providing evidence-based mentor orientation and training (Objective 4). This program renewal puts an increased emphasis on sequential training and meeting the specific needs of AI/AN trainees with a focus on: 1) developing interest in the program by creating and event with Distinguished Native Scientists describing how their work contributes to improving Native communities, 2) connecting students to the Kansas biocareers ecosystem through programming from a public-private partnership, 3) the increased use of career and professional development tools early in the trainee’s development, by implementing activities from the Entering Research curriculum, 4) closer interactions with program alumni to better build communities of practice, which are informal mentoring and learning communities, and 5) technical, operational and professional skills development through a detailed two-year sequence designed to create close cohorts of students. Program activities will be integrative with those of other existing diversity-promoting KU programs such as the newly funded NIH Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) program, expanding the community accessed by Bridge trainees at KU. The sequential, additive nature of these objectives builds a program that students engage with in three phases: 1) pre-Bridge, 2) the Basic Skills Year (Year 1), and 3) the Community Building Year (Year 2). Completing these three phases allows for a higher success rate for Haskell trainees to transfer to KU and complete their degrees by building both confidence and community.

PROJECT NARRATIVE The Haskell-KU Bridge project will diversify the scientific workforce by increasing the likelihood of American Indian / Alaskan Native students attaining baccalaureate degrees and future careers in biomedical, bioengineering, behavioral and health sciences. Our vision is for American Indian and Alaska Native students to see a place for themselves in bioscience careers, to build the skills and resources they need to succeed, and to create a compassionate community of mentors invested in the success of students. The program fosters interactions between Haskell Indian Nations University students and faculty and University of Kansas research mentors to prepare American Indian / Alaska Native students for a broad range of bioscience careers of particular relevance to the needs of Native communities, while increasing the degree attainment of one of the most under-represented groups in STEM fields.