Introduction
Minority research collaborators face many challenges in the field of research.
One of the biggest challenges is the lack of funding available to minority researchers, which can make it difficult to get started in the first place.
Another challenge is that there are very few mentors and role models who can help guide you through your career.
The research process is complex and collaborative. It can also be difficult to navigate for minority groups who have, historically, been left out of the scientific community and its processes.
We know that minority research collaborators face unique challenges when it comes to engaging in research—especially when they are first starting out. We want to help you navigate your way through these challenges, so you can get back to doing what you love: researching!
What Are Some of the Challenges That Minority Research Collaborators Face?
As a minority researcher, you may have faced some of the following challenges:
Finding Funding for Your Research Project
Many grant-making organizations will not fund projects led by minority researchers because their experience has shown that minority researchers are less likely to finish their projects and make them successful. As a result, finding funding can be difficult for minority researchers.
Getting Published as a Minority Scholar
Getting published in high impact journals or at reputable conferences (especially when there are few other minority scholars who have done so). There is no doubt about it: getting published can be harder as a minority scholar than it would be if you were white or Asian.
This is especially true if you are an early career scholar (less than 7 years out of graduate school). While most people in this stage need to publish several journal articles before they can be seriously considered for tenure-track positions at major universities or research institutions such as NIH centers or NSF laboratories.
How Can We Make Sure That Minorities Are Included in the Conversation About How to Improve Diversity in STEM Fields?
Minority students don’t have the same access to STEM education as white students do. There are many reasons for this. One reason is that they may not have access to the same resources or opportunities as their white peers. Another reason is that many minority students feel like they don’t belong in these fields, or that they’re not smart enough to participate in them.
It’s important to include minorities in the conversation about how to improve diversity in STEM fields.
- Listen to minority researchers.
- Include minority researchers in the conversation.
- Don’t assume that minority researchers are the same as white men and women, or that they have the same needs or priorities.
What Are the Benefits of Being a Minority Research Collaborator?
The benefits of being a minority research collaborator are many.
First, you can be a part of something special. Research collaborations allow you to get involved with cutting-edge work that will help shape the future of your field. You’ll be able to work with some of the most talented people in your field, and learn from them.
Second, you’ll have an opportunity to make an impact on society. When you’re working on a research project, there are many ways for you to make a change in the world. You can improve health care, develop new technology or solve social problems—and all of them will be meaningful because they were created by YOU!
Finally, being a minority research collaborator might help you get ahead in your career. When you’ve proven yourself as an important member of this team, recruiters and hiring managers will notice that they need someone like YOU on their teams too!
How Can Minority Researchers Help Improve Science?
It’s true that minority researchers bring a different perspective to the science. But it’s also true that their unique experiences of living as a member of an underrepresented group in society can bring something valuable to the research.
In fact, some scientists suggest that by delving into their own data more carefully and thoroughly, minority researchers might be able to find new things no one else has noticed before. By doing this, they could help improve science!
What Are the Benefits of Having More Minority Researchers in the Field of Science?
Science is a field that is constantly evolving, and we need to be able to keep up with new discoveries, as well as old ones.
One way that science can continue to grow is by having more minority researchers in the field. This allows us to see different perspectives on how we approach problems, look at data and interpret results, and ultimately make new discoveries that were previously unknown.
The more diverse our research teams are, the more likely they are to come up with solutions that work for everyone—and not just those who fit into a certain demographic profile.
This is especially important when it comes to issues such as climate change and pandemics: if you’re looking at these issues through only one lens (for example: white men), then it’s easy for something like global warming or an Ebola outbreak to happen without anyone noticing until it’s too late.
- More diverse perspectives
- More diverse approaches
- More diverse ideas
- More diverse solutions
- More diverse people
What’s the Best Way to Ensure That Minority Researchers Are Included in Scientific Collaborations?
As a white person, you may not know how best to include minority researchers in scientific collaborations. It’s essential that you listen and learn from other people’s experiences. You should ask minority researchers what they think is the best way for you to help them be included in the conversation about how best to ensure inclusion.
Minority research collaborators are more likely to be successful when they have a strong support system.
If you’re part of a team or organization working on this issue, make sure that your group includes people who have different perspectives on inclusion than yours—not just on race and ethnicity but also gender identity/expression; sexual orientation; age; physical ability; religion or spirituality; socioeconomic status (for example, low income); parental status/caregiving role (parenting children).
How Can We Make Sure That Minority Scientists Are Being Treated Fairly by Their Peers, and Not Being Treated as Outsiders?
When you work with a minority researcher, there are some things you can do to make sure they feel comfortable. First, be supportive of the scientist’s ideas. Second, make sure that your own background and experience matches theirs (or comes as close as possible). Third, don’t pass judgement on their work; treat it with respect and interest. If someone has an idea that doesn’t seem like a good one at first glance, don’t dismiss it out of hand—ask questions! Fourthly and lastly: Don’t assume that because someone is from another culture or background than you that they aren’t as capable or intelligent as yourself or other colleagues.
How Do You Find a Minority Research Collaborator?
If you’re looking for minority research collaborators in your personal network, here are some ideas:
- Look at the faculty members in your department. If they are not minorities, ask if they know anyone who is.
- Check out your alumni network by searching LinkedIn and asking people if they know any minorities who have done research in your field and would be willing to talk with you.
- Take advantage of online communities that are designed to connect scholars with similar interests and goals (e.g., Collaboratory).
- Contact professors from other schools or universities who might be willing to collaborate with you on a project.
- You can look for them at local universities and colleges.
Minority research collaborators are vital to the success of a team.
What Are Some Ways That You Can Be More Inclusive of Minorities in Your Research?
As a researcher, you can do a lot of good with your work. You can help to address problems that affect the world, and you can make the world a better place by studying them.
However, if your research team is not diverse and does not include minorities, it will be limited in its ability to understand and solve issues that impact minorities.
In order to be inclusive of minorities in your research and ensure that your entire team understands these issues well enough to be able to solve them effectively, consider hiring minority research collaborators as part of your team.
What Are Some Ways That I Can Help My Minority Research Collaborators?
- Recruitment. You can help recruit minority research collaborators to your lab by reaching out to a diversity committee or organization, like the National Society for Minorities in Clinical Research (NSMCR). They can provide you with a list of people who are willing to volunteer their time and energy to your lab.
- Mentoring. If you’re interested in learning more about mentorship, check out this post on our blog: How I Got My First Mentor – And What It Means For My Career Development.
- Mentorship. If you’re looking for ways that you can be a better mentor, here are some tips from our blog: 10 Steps To Become A Better Mentor For Underrepresented Groups In Biomedical Research.
Conclusion
Every day, we’re working to make this world a better place.
Unfortunately, there is no easy solution to how we can address these issues. However, one thing that research suggests is that you can make a big difference by being more inclusive in your own work. This means welcoming people from different backgrounds into your lab, and also making an effort to understand their perspectives on the world around them.
It’s not enough to just ask the questions—we want to find answers. And we’ll do whatever it takes to get those answers. Whether that means we have to dig deeper, or keep looking until we find the right answer, we will always work hard and never stop learning.
In order to have a more diverse group of research collaborators, we must ensure that there are opportunities for minority researchers to collaborate. We believe that when we work together, we can solve any problem.
Remember: Diversity makes us stronger.