Abstract :
Our “quiet crisis´ is due in large part to the fact that underrepresented minorities (URMs) are profoundly underrepresented in the science professions, and thus do not have an equal voice in venues where health and human welfare policy is determined and world-class biomedical/behavioral research is conducted. This in turn, contributes to health disparities and other more subtle inequities for our nation´s underserved. To address this crisis, The University of Tennessee Knoxville (UTK), the Program for Excellence & Equity in Research, a NIH/NIGMS funded Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity (IMSD), through partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) offers underrepresented minority Scholars the opportunity to train in an unprecedented atmosphere of scientific excellence, engage in team-science fostered through the UTK-Oak Ridge National Laboratory partnership, gain crucial 21st century professional skills, and be mentored by world class scientists, all within a supportive community created by and for the Scholars.
