Diversity and Inclusion
The Stanford Cardiovascular Institute is committed to creating a culture of inclusion, diversity, equity, and access. Our goal is to pursue meaningful practices that support diversity, equity, and inclusion in recruitment, mentorship, and work environments.
— Joseph Wu, MD, PhD, Director of the Cardiovascular Institute
- The Stanford Cardiovascular Institute (CVI) is embedded in Stanford University and the School of Medicine. Together, we strive to build a diverse and supportive community that advances equity and inclusion. Below we have listed several of our current programs and efforts to embody the IDEAL principles of inclusion, diversity, equity, and access in a learning environment. We also understand that to continue to foster a more inclusive and diverse community, we must thoughtfully expand these efforts. We will also continue to work towards further increasing representation from underrepresented groups to foster an environment of belonging for all members.
Education
CVI Summer Research Program
CVI is committed to increasing the pipeline of individuals from underrepresented racial, ethnic, and social groups in science. Our CVI Summer Research Program is funded by multiple mechanisms, several of which are specifically devoted to supporting students from underrepresented backgrounds: a Short-Term Research Education Program to Increase Diversity in Health-Related Research (NHLBI R25), an AHA SURE (Supporting Undergraduate Research Experiences) pilot program, a Stanford Cardiovascular Summer Research Training Program for Medical Students T35 award administered in collaboration with Meharry Medical College and the University of Puerto Rico Medical School, and a Stanford Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery Diversifying the Pipeline Award administered in collaboration with Dr. Tomi Obafemi. We strongly encourage individuals from underrepresented or disadvantaged backgrounds to apply to our program to accelerate their training in cardiovascular research.
T32 Postdoc and R38 Resident Training
CVI administers NIH-funded T32 training grants for postdoctoral researchers, as well as an R38 training grant for medical residents. A core mission of these programs is to promote diversity among early stage scientists pursuing careers in academic research. CVI partners with the Dean’s office of Postdoctoral Affairs and the Senior Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs and Diversity to help identify URM candidates for T32 postdoctoral training programs through their PRISM initiative.
Trainee Conference Funding
Trainees from underrepresented backgrounds are also encouraged to apply for CVI Travel Awards. To increase diversity in cardiovascular medicine and research, CVI sponsors an Outreach Travel Award. This award, exclusive to candidates from underrepresented groups, facilitates access to career development and critical networking opportunities at national and international cardiovascular conferences.
Mentorship Program
The CVI Mentorship Program for early career scientists helps early-stage researchers, such as postdocs, residents, instructors, graduate students, and medical students, access career development and research advice from senior members of their field. Individuals from underrepresented backgrounds are encouraged to join the program and select an advisor from among our pool of over 50 mentors, several of whom are faculty members from underrepresented communities.
Research and Professional Development
Promoting diversity and inclusivity in the scientific research community is an important component to identifying, developing, supporting, and maintaining novel, innovative research. CVI is committed to supporting efforts for growth and development in research and career development.
Mentoring to AdVance WomEN in Science
(MAVENS)
CVI's MAVENS program mission is to inspire, empower, and support women in academic medicine throughout their career progression to create an integrated community of scientists. You can apply to the MAVENS program if you are a faculty member (Assistant or Instructor) affiliated with the CVI. MAVENS Early Career participants receive support in developing career milestones, sponsorship to achieve career development goals, constructive feedback for growth on professional aims, and recognition of promise as an early career scientist.
Grant Application Support
Below we have highlighted specific funding opportunities for individuals from underrepresented and disadvantaged backgrounds. For more questions on diversity related grants, or for support in applications preparation, please contact CVI's Office of Research Development.
Loan Repayment Program
The NIH Loan Repayment Programs (LRPs) are a set of programs established by Congress and designed to recruit and retain highly qualified health professionals into biomedical or biobehavioral research careers.
Recruitment
Faculty development and diversity are critical to the advancement of the next generation of physicians, researchers, and educators who push forward not only cardiovascular research but also a new definition of standard of care for patients. CVI is committed to recruitment from a diverse applicant pool and supporting new faculty during their transition. Additionally, Stanford's Office of Faculty Development and Diversity provides several programs intended to foster inclusivity and visibility for members of our diverse faculty community.
CVI Seed Grant Funding
We understand that diversity, equity, and inclusion need to infuse all aspects of our work at CVI. Moving forward, CVI Seed Grant funding will encourage submissions that seek to address diversity in their research proposal. Meaningful incorporation of diversity in the research plan will be evaluated.
Community
CCVI is committed to creating a culture of diversity and acceptance. We are taking steps to increase representation from minority racial, ethnic, and social groups among our leadership, faculty recruits, and invited speakers. CVI wants to ensure that everyone has a voice in our community. We administer anonymous climate surveys to assess ways we can continue to improve our Institute's community of inclusion and acceptance. In addition, CVI’s monthly steering committee meetings of faculty and staff always include a discussion on current opportunities to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The Cardiovascular Institute is part of the broader Stanford and School of Medicine community. Together, we strive to build a diverse, supportive community that advances equity and inclusion. Below are some innovative programs that aim to promote diversity.
School of Medicine Affiliated Offices that recognize the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion for graduate students, medical students, residents and fellows, postdoctoral fellows, faculty, and staff
Stanford School of Medicine Diversity Center of Representation and Empowerment (D-CORE)
School of Medicine Diversity Programs for all members of the Stanford community
Department of Medicine Diversity and Inclusion Initiative
CVI 2019 Undergraduate Summer Research Program Students, Mentors and Staff