In August, the federal government terminated a 25-year program that trained more than 200 research scientists to be effective college teachers.
Fellowship in Research and Science Teaching was a collaboration between Morehouse College, Spelman College, Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse School of Medicine — all historically Black institutions — and Emory University.
Funded by the National Institutes of Health, FIRST postdoctoral scientists engaged in research at Emory while participating in dedicated training for teaching college-level science and then teaching at partner schools in Atlanta.
FIRST was canceled — along with hundreds of other grants — as part of the Trump administration’s push to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs. University administrators received messages from the Department of Health and Human Services saying such programs are harmful and “provide a low return on investment.”
We believe the record of the FIRST program presents a clear contrast with the government’s boilerplate assertion. The FIRST program has been extraordinarily successful at producing cutting-edge scientific research, building expertise in college teaching and developing the leadership potential of a generation of scientists.
Grant recipients have gone on to esteemed careers
FIRST fellows have published papers on topics such as sickle cell disease, chronic pain, cystic fibrosis, emerging pathogens, sanitation resiliency to disasters and primate cognition. Unlike many programs that focus only on research, FIRST fellows have dedicated time for developing their teaching skills through practice, experimentation and research.
Thus, FIRST fellows have also published on best practices for effective science teaching, including strategies to foster student-student interactions in online courses and the use of immersive virtual reality to enhance engagement with complex biological concepts.
The impact of FIRST can be seen here in Atlanta. Many faculty at Spelman and Morehouse were FIRST fellows and now serve as mentors for current fellows. FIRST fellows developed a variety of courses that continue to be taught, such as the biology of women course at Spelman, which became the premier biology course for nonmajors.
At Morehouse College, fellows developed courses in cancer biology that facilitated students’ participation in research and a course in men’s health, which is now part of the Morehouse College general education curriculum.
Competition in academia is fierce, with more graduates than academic jobs. So, a key metric for postdoctoral training programs is their placement of scientists in jobs within academia or industry.
Over the first 20 years:
- 70% of FIRST fellows landed in academia, with approximately half those in primarily teaching roles;
- 14% landed in industry positions at companies such as Eli Lilly, Boston Scientific, Regeneron and Indivior; and
- 9% in governmental agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration.
Many FIRST fellows report they would not have continued in science careers if they had not participated in a program like FIRST. FIRST was so successful that Emory School of Medicine tapped program leaders to run additional professional development programs for all postdoctoral scientists.
NIH head once said developing bioscientists was top priority
FIRST was the longest continuously running Institutional Research and Academic Career Development Awards, and along with other IRADCA programs across the country, established a successful model for developing 21st century world-class scientists who are now training the next generation of the STEM workforce. Many students taught by FIRST fellows in Atlanta have been inspired to pursue careers in science, some even becoming IRACDA fellows themselves.
When the NIH evaluated IRACDA outcomes in 2016, they concluded it was extraordinarily effective. At the time, IRACDA alumni were professors in 45 of 50 states, bringing their scientific and teaching expertise to students around the country. All of these programs lost their NIH funding this year.
In a statement published on Aug. 15, NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya listed “training future biomedical scientists” as the agency’s first priority. This is exactly what IRACDA programs like Emory FIRST did: train scientists to excel in careers critical for the future of our country.
The Trump administration’s attack on diversity, equity and inclusion programs at the NIH appears to reflect a belief that such programs are inherently “waste, fraud and abuse,” as well as the distrust that has grown between some Americans and the scientific community. However, in a recent Economist/YouGov poll, a majority (56%) of Republicans said that federal research funding for American universities should increase or stay the same, compared to only 22% who said it should decrease.
Our society needs skilled scientists, teachers and communicators. But rather than investing in the future of U.S. science, our government is eliminating successful programs, using DEI as a scapegoat. What if, instead, we fund science, fund scientist training and watch society reap the benefits?
Gitanjali Gnanadesikan, Ph.D., was a FIRST fellow conducting research on primate behavior at Emory University and teaching in the Spelman College biology department.
Toneisha Stubbs, Ph.D., was a FIRST fellow conducting research on embryonic development at Emory University and teaching in the Spelman College biology department.
Valerie Haftel, Ph.D., was in the first class of FIRST fellows and is professor and chair of the Biology Department at Morehouse College.
Triscia Hendrickson, Ph.D., a former FIRST fellow (2001-2004), is a professor of biology and the associate provost for research and student training at Morehouse College.
Tiffany Oliver, Ph.D., completed the FIRST program in 2011 and is currently a professor of biology at Spelman College.
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