Developing a Learning Assessment to Increase Diversity in Academic Health Sciences and Disseminating the RWJ Learning Assessment to Build Momentum for Adoption

The Disparities Research Unit in the Mongan Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital and the CHANGE lab at Texas A&M University collaborated on a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-funded Learning Assessment designed to advance innovative strategies and institutional practices needed to advance racial equity in the academic health sciences. The 14-month initial study took a mixed methods approach to identify evidence-based strategies supporting faculty recruitment, retention, and promotion of staff and students of color in academic health sciences. This work included a large-scale scoping review of the literature from 1960 to 2022, online surveys with more than 350 participants, and 60 in-depth interviews with university, policymaker, and non-profit organization participants. This research resulted in 13 evidence-based strategies for supporting the recruitment, retention, and promotion of faculty, staff, and students of color in academic health sciences.

RWJF has funded Massachusetts General Hospital and Northeastern University for a second round of this work, focused on disseminating the learning assessment to advance adoption and overcome the challenges and barriers of institutional DEI change in academic health institutions. We aim to increase awareness and widely disseminate the 13 recommended evidence-based strategies for supporting the recruitment, retention, and promotion of faculty, staff, and students of color in academic health sciences.

These projects are funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation contract IDs: 79818 and 80839