Endocrine Society awarded five-year $733K grant from NIDDK to promote diversity

Chevy Chase, MD—The Endocrine Society today launched the Future Leaders Advancing Research in Endocrinology (FLARE) Program, a multi-faceted training program for minority senior graduate students, postdoctoral and clinical research fellows in endocrine-related research. The program is funded by a five-year grant totaling nearly $733K from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).

Chronic endocrine diseases such as diabetes disproportionately affect certain populations including racial and ethnic minorities, yet these same populations are often underrepresented among the professionals that study and treat these diseases.

“Recruitment and retention of a diverse biomedical and clinical workforce is a possible solution to addressing the issue of health disparities,” said William F. Young, Jr., MD, president of The Endocrine Society. “With the FLARE Program, we’re investing in the continued professional growth of these trainees to enhance their preparedness for advancement as leaders within The Endocrine Society, their home institution and in the scientific community at large.”

The FLARE Program components include a leadership training workshop, a mentoring network to build relationships between minority trainees and dedicated mentors, and a Society-based internship program for the trainees that includes participation in a governing committee of The Endocrine Society and informal mentoring of minority undergraduate students in the Society’s existing summer research program.

The Society’s Minority Access Program (MAP) actively recruits underrepresented minority undergraduate students and helps them pursue advanced degrees in the biomedical and clinical sciences. Despite the success of MAP, a challenge remains in the retention and advancement of these trainees. The FLARE Program provides professional development that enhances trainees’ confidence and identity as research professionals, thus ensuring they are not lost from the workforce “pipeline” over the long-term.

For more information on the FLARE Program, go to: www.endo-society.org/FLARE.

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Founded in 1916, The Endocrine Society is the world's oldest, largest, and most active organization devoted to research on hormones and the clinical practice of endocrinology. Today, The Endocrine Society's membership consists of over 15,000 scientists, physicians, educators, nurses and students in more than 100 countries. Together, these members represent all basic, applied, and clinical interests in endocrinology. The Endocrine Society is based in Chevy Chase, Md. To learn more about the Society, and the field of endocrinology, visit our web site at www.endo-society.org.