We in the McBride Lab are committed to cultivating a welcoming, supportive lab environment where people of all backgrounds can thrive. However, we recognize that racism and other forms of bias continue to marginalize or altogether exclude certain groups from academic communities. In many cases such bias is subconscious but nevertheless insidious and harmful. We are therefore committed to raise our own awareness and work actively to rectify inequities in our community and the broader academic field.

One major barrier may be limited access to information about research opportunities, funding, and other available support. Below is a non-comprehensive list of resources for aspiring scientists, including those from under-represented groups (including racial minorities, low-income/first-generation college students, LGBTQ+ individuals, and others) at diverse career stages. This list also includes opportunities for allies to get involved, volunteer, and raise awareness. Members of our lab have participated in many of these programs and found them helpful/rewarding.

Programs for pre-university students (and interested scientists)

• Skype a Scientist: Connect scientists with teachers & classrooms across the globe to help make science more accessible
• Letters to a Pre-Scientist: Connect students with scientist pen pals
• Princeton University’s Laboratory Learning Program: Research opportunities at Princeton for high school students
• Princeton University Preparatory Program (PUPP): Multi-year college preparatory program for low-income students at certain NJ high schools

Undergraduate research opportunities @ Princeton

• PNI summer research program: Summer research experience for undergraduates in Neuroscience. URMs strongly encouraged to apply.

Applying to graduate school

• Princeton EEB Scholars Program: multi-day visit/workshop designed to give prospective students the tools they need to confidently apply to graduate programs (at Princeton or elsewhere)
• Stanford Biology Preview Weekend: similar to Princeton EEB Scholars Program but at Stanford
• General advice on applying to grad school in EEB: O’Connor lab’s advice, Dynamic Ecology’s advice, Andrew Hendry’s advice, Joan Strassman’s advice, Steve Phelps’ advice

Princeton institutional support for equity and inclusion

• Princeton Office of Diversity and Inclusion: support co-curricular experiences for undergraduate and graduate students and includes the the Carl A. Fields Center for Equality + Cultural Understanding and the Gender + Sexuality Resource Center
• Princeton Graduate School diversity and inclusion: primarily for grad students, programs to promote diversity and inclusion at all levels from applying to Princeton to 1st year support to workshops/events to promote access, diversity, and inclusion
• Emma Bloomberg Center for Access and Opportunity: works to ensure that students from all backgrounds have the mentorship, academic enrichment and community they need to thrive in college—and beyond
• Scholars Institute Fellows Program: Supporting 1st generation/lower-income students. Emphasis on mentorship ties between undergrads, grads, and faculty/staff

Other outreach and professional development resources

• Prison Teaching Initiative: Provides high-quality post-secondary education to incarcerated students. Depends on volunteers
• Project Biodiversify: Provides methods and material to help university educators diversify examples of biologists in their lectures

Fellowship resources

• Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Graduate Scholarships Programs
• Ford Foundation Fellowships (for graduate students and postdocs)
• HHMI Hanna H. Gray Fellowships (for postdocs)
• AAUW (for women)
• UGSP Scholarship (for undergrads)
• Horizon Fellowship Program: Designed to increase access to promising graduate students. Horizon Fellows are regularly admitted graduate students who would benefit from an extra year of academic training. Horizon Fellows are given one extra year of regular enrollment that begins with their Horizon Fellowship year.