Students Participating as Ambassadors for Research in Kentucky (SPARK): A health equity undergraduate research training program
The Students Participating as Ambassadors for Research in Kentucky (SPARK) program provides novel health equity research training and targeted mentorship for undergraduates, particularly those from groups underrepresented in the biomedical and behavioral research and workforce. SPARK aims to address...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Clinical and Translational Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2059866124006885/type/journal_article |
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| author | Ariel A. Arthur Rebecca L. deLacerda Allen Fidelis Y. Sesenu Maxwell A. Groznik Carrie B. Oser Justin X. Moore Jessica R. Thompson Alexis N. James Madeline N. Dunfee Philip A. Kern Nancy E. Schoenberg |
| author_facet | Ariel A. Arthur Rebecca L. deLacerda Allen Fidelis Y. Sesenu Maxwell A. Groznik Carrie B. Oser Justin X. Moore Jessica R. Thompson Alexis N. James Madeline N. Dunfee Philip A. Kern Nancy E. Schoenberg |
| author_sort | Ariel A. Arthur |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Students Participating as Ambassadors for Research in Kentucky (SPARK) program provides novel health equity research training and targeted mentorship for undergraduates, particularly those from groups underrepresented in the biomedical and behavioral research and workforce. SPARK aims to address inadequate diversity in the medical and scientific research fields by providing comprehensive research mentorship and skill-building. Unlike most existing research training programs that are brief, focus on laboratory research, or are limited to graduate students and junior faculty, SPARK delivers a 16-month intensive behavioral and population health science training, equipping students with needed tools to conceptualize, plan, execute, and analyze their own health equity research study. Trainees complete didactic coursework on health equity, study design and proposal development, data analysis, and ethics. Students receive a stipend and research expenses, and multiple mentors guide them in creating original research projects for which they serve as Principal Investigator. Students disseminate their findings annually at an academic research conference as a capstone. Evaluation data from the first three cohorts suggest SPARK has been pivotal in preparing students for graduate studies and research careers in health equity and behavioral and population health sciences, providing strong support for further investments in similar undergraduate research training models. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2e082a62d1ac42c0969cdf260336d99f |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2059-8661 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Clinical and Translational Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-2e082a62d1ac42c0969cdf260336d99f2025-01-23T08:44:16ZengCambridge University PressJournal of Clinical and Translational Science2059-86612025-01-01910.1017/cts.2024.688Students Participating as Ambassadors for Research in Kentucky (SPARK): A health equity undergraduate research training programAriel A. Arthur0https://orcid.org/0009-0002-9581-6178Rebecca L. deLacerda Allen1Fidelis Y. Sesenu2Maxwell A. Groznik3Carrie B. Oser4Justin X. Moore5Jessica R. Thompson6Alexis N. James7Madeline N. Dunfee8Philip A. Kern9https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4761-7417Nancy E. Schoenberg10Center for Health Equity Transformation, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USACenter for Clinical and Translational Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USACenter for Health Equity Transformation, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA Department of Communication, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USACenter for Health Equity Transformation, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA Department of Communication, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USACenter for Health Equity Transformation, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA Department of Sociology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USACenter for Health Equity Transformation, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA Department of Internal Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USADepartment of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USAMassachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions, Boston, Massachusetts, USADepartment of Epidemiology and Department of Biostatistics, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USACenter for Clinical and Translational Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA Department of Internal Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USACenter for Health Equity Transformation, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USAThe Students Participating as Ambassadors for Research in Kentucky (SPARK) program provides novel health equity research training and targeted mentorship for undergraduates, particularly those from groups underrepresented in the biomedical and behavioral research and workforce. SPARK aims to address inadequate diversity in the medical and scientific research fields by providing comprehensive research mentorship and skill-building. Unlike most existing research training programs that are brief, focus on laboratory research, or are limited to graduate students and junior faculty, SPARK delivers a 16-month intensive behavioral and population health science training, equipping students with needed tools to conceptualize, plan, execute, and analyze their own health equity research study. Trainees complete didactic coursework on health equity, study design and proposal development, data analysis, and ethics. Students receive a stipend and research expenses, and multiple mentors guide them in creating original research projects for which they serve as Principal Investigator. Students disseminate their findings annually at an academic research conference as a capstone. Evaluation data from the first three cohorts suggest SPARK has been pivotal in preparing students for graduate studies and research careers in health equity and behavioral and population health sciences, providing strong support for further investments in similar undergraduate research training models.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2059866124006885/type/journal_articleUnderrepresented undergraduateshealth equitymentoringresearch trainingprofessional development |
| spellingShingle | Ariel A. Arthur Rebecca L. deLacerda Allen Fidelis Y. Sesenu Maxwell A. Groznik Carrie B. Oser Justin X. Moore Jessica R. Thompson Alexis N. James Madeline N. Dunfee Philip A. Kern Nancy E. Schoenberg Students Participating as Ambassadors for Research in Kentucky (SPARK): A health equity undergraduate research training program Journal of Clinical and Translational Science Underrepresented undergraduates health equity mentoring research training professional development |
| title | Students Participating as Ambassadors for Research in Kentucky (SPARK): A health equity undergraduate research training program |
| title_full | Students Participating as Ambassadors for Research in Kentucky (SPARK): A health equity undergraduate research training program |
| title_fullStr | Students Participating as Ambassadors for Research in Kentucky (SPARK): A health equity undergraduate research training program |
| title_full_unstemmed | Students Participating as Ambassadors for Research in Kentucky (SPARK): A health equity undergraduate research training program |
| title_short | Students Participating as Ambassadors for Research in Kentucky (SPARK): A health equity undergraduate research training program |
| title_sort | students participating as ambassadors for research in kentucky spark a health equity undergraduate research training program |
| topic | Underrepresented undergraduates health equity mentoring research training professional development |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2059866124006885/type/journal_article |
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