PiNBAC: The Program in Neuroscience Post-Baccalaureate Training Program

Project Summary
Although there is a robust training infrastructure in the neurosciences that is supported by NIH, there
remain several important opportunities for increasing the representation of underrepresented minorities and
other historically disadvantaged groups in brain science. 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 then 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 that lack such
experience are denied admission to graduate school 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 total
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 both in applying to graduate school and
in the “hidden curriculum” of higher education and 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
difference. Here we propose to further develop PiNBAC, and to build 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 very successfully piloted in the last year. It is our hope that through this
application we can help to build the next generation of diverse leaders in the field.

Grant Number: 5R25NS130945-03
NIH Institute/Center: NIH
Principal Investigator: JOHN ASSAD