Diversity in the Biological and Physical Science Workforce at Research Intensive Universities and Medical Schools Joel D. Oppenheim, Ph.D. Senior Associate Dean NYU School of Medicine

The Real Issue Science by its very nature knows no boundaries. It is universal and the epitome of diversity. For a multiple of well established reasons, those individuals who carry out science must represent this diversity without regards to race, gender or ethnicity. At the present time the science workforce at research intensive universities and medical schools does not represent this diversity.

The Problem… At the graduate student level: While the 2000 census showed that URM make up 26% of the US population, according to the NSF 2001 Annual Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED), URM received only 6% of the degrees granted in the biological sciences, 3.8% of those granted in the physical sciences and 3.5 % in engineering Biological SciencesPhysical Sciences degrees granted-5970 degrees granted to US citizens (~50% to women) to US citizens (25% women) to international students-2849 to international students to URM (6%)-227 to URM (3.8%) Engineering degrees granted-3363 to international students to US citizens -191 to URM (3.5%) (16.9% women)

The Problem… At the postdoctoral level: Though exact numbers are not available, according to the National Academy’s 2000 COSEPUP Report on Postdoctoral Fellows, in the sciences URM PhD recipients were less likely to do postdoctoral fellowships. (Such postdoctoral fellowships are a prerequisite to academic positions)

The Problem… At the faculty level: In 2002, the AAMC reported that underrepresented minorities made up ~4.6% (714/15,344) of the Basic Science Faculty in medical school, numbers that have not changed that much over the past ten years. In this group, African Americans account for only 1.5% (229/15,344). That translates to less than 2 African American basic science faculty per medical school in the Untied States and if you subtract out the faculty at historically black medical schools, the number approaches one per medical school!

The Problem… At the faculty level: In a fall 2001 article in Chemical & Engineering News published by the American Chemical Society pointed out that while the number of minority PhD’s awarded in chemistry has increased in the last decade, in the top 50 chemistry programs in the country there are presently no African American assistant professors and only six black associate professors and 12 full professors. The numbers become even more significant in that many of full professors are approaching retirement age. African American chemistry professors are becoming a vanishing species. The statistics for physics are even worse. In the past decade there has been only a slight change in the number of PhD’s awarded to minorities (about 30-35/yr). However, minorities now compose less than 2.5% of the tenure/tenure track faculty in the top 50 physics programs in the country. African Americans represent only.6% occupying a total of 12 positions!

The Problem… Summary: As was pointed out in November, 2001 in the published Report of the NIGMS Workshop on Achieving Scientific Excellence through Diversity “The pipeline leaks at several places: especially in the transitions from Ph.D. to the postdoctoral fellow and postdoctoral fellow to faculty.” What in fact has seemed to happen over the past ten years is that while underrepresented minorities have been receiving significantly more PhD’s in the biological, chemical and physical sciences (though the numbers are still incredible low especially in physics) fewer seem to have chosen academic careers and especially at competitive academic institutions. This cannot continue if academia is to truly represent a diversified environment reflective of the society around us.

Possible Answers… The problem is of such significant national importance that it has to be addressed on multiple levels and must include: 1.Government 2.Private Sector 3.University Community

Possible Answers…Government On the governmental level, appropriate long-term programs must be created and funding allocated for their implementation to keep the pipeline flowing. At the predoctoral level: –NIH must continue to support and expand programs such as MARC and MBRS and find further funding for model programs to encourage more minorities into graduate programs in the biological sciences. –NSF and the Department of Education through it’s Trio Programs must do likewise in the chemical and physical sciences. –NIH, NSF and the Department of Education must work more closely together to maximize their efforts.

Possible Answers…Government At the doctoral level: - NIH and NSF must continue to support doctoral candidates At the postdoctoral level: -NIH and NSF must also create new programs to encourage recent underrepresented minority PhD’s to pursue postdoctoral fellowships. This means that the financial remuneration and benefits for these trainees must be at least equivalent to the private sector. Postdoctoral fellowships in the $40,000 to $50,000 plus range must become common place.

Possible Answers…Government At the faculty level: - NIH and NSF working with universities must create new faculty positions, which will encourage underrepresented groups to consider academic positions. These positions must include: five year start up packages; competitive salaries; time release from burdensome faculty committees; and the realization that the majority of new PhD’s in this group are woman, who have additional issues that must be addressed, such as time to tenure and childcare. At all levels: - Government agencies must also concentrate such funding in schools who have a proven track record of success, infrastructure in place and a firm moral commitment to the success of such programs.

Possible Answers…The Private Sector Foundations: - Large foundations like HHMI, Ford, Carnegie, Rockefeller, etc. must also create and fund innovative programs to keep the pipeline flowing. Such foundations are in a unique position to quickly establish and adequately fund model programs which could then be adopted by federal funding agencies. The outline for one such model would be linking a group of research oriented universities together which would offer to outstanding candidates a “pipeline” program of doctoral an postdoctoral training linked to a guaranteed faculty position.

Possible Answers…The Private Sector Industry: - the industrial sector must work with universities to support students and postdocs through the pipeline (as Merek has done) as well as faculty who could be involved in translational research (as Genentech is beginning to do).

Possible Answers…The Academic Community Directly -Actively recruit URM’s to faculty positions and help them to achieve success -Create a new level of employee..the “staff scientist,” a professional position for experienced people who do not aspire to achieve tenure Indirectly -We have to raise the level of respect for faculty to that of other professions and we have to financially support them at levels equivalent with the private sector. -Administrators and faculty must convince students that academia is a worthwhile and viable career, with it’s own set of rewards, both tangible and intangible. -Scientists also have the responsibility to convey the excitement and opportunities that a research career offers, and the importance and relevance of research to society in improving quality of life and reducing health disparities.