PiNBAC: The Program in Neuroscience Post-Baccalaureate Training Program

Although there is a robust training infrastructure in the neurosciences supported by NIH, there remain important opportunities to broaden participation in brain science by reaching students who have had limited access to advanced research preparation. There is a population of undergraduates with formal training in the neurosciences (obtained via classroom-based work) who nevertheless have not had the opportunity for a high-quality, longitudinal research experience. This same population frequently also lacks access to the relevant mentorship required for success in applying to graduate school and subsequently for success in neuroscience research. Because longitudinal research experience is arguably one of the few traditional admissions criteria that predict future success in graduate school, many applicants who lack such experience are denied admission on this basis alone. There therefore exists an educational gap, one we propose to address here through PiNBAC, the Harvard Program in Neuroscience post-baccalaureate program.
Through the support of the Department of Neurobiology and the T32-funded Harvard PhD Program in Neuroscience (PiN), PiNBAC was started in 2021 with an inaugural class of seven scholars; two of these scholars applied to graduate school this year (one will matriculate to Harvard, the other to Yale), with the remaining five to apply in the fall. The initial iteration of PiNBAC included a substantial research experience in which each scholar was asked to make an intellectual contribution to a project (rather than solely serving in a technical support role), substantial mentorship in applying to graduate school and in navigating the expectations and professional practices of scientific training, integration of PiN graduate programming to enhance PiNBAC training, and a specific longitudinal course to give each scholar space to reflect and learn more about science from their peers.
Informal feedback and early survey results suggest that the initial version of PiNBAC has been a success: feedback from students and mentors reveals both that the program addresses a clear gap in available educational resources and that participants feel the program is effective at making a meaningful difference. Here we propose to further develop PiNBAC, building on its strengths by expanding the formal neuroscience-specific curriculum offered to scholars. PiNBAC is rooted in an innovative data-driven pedagogical approach that has been successfully piloted in the last year. It is our hope that through this application we can help train the next generation of leaders in the field.

Grant Number: 5R25NS130945-04
NIH Institute/Center: NIH
Principal Investigator: JOHN ASSAD