Amid recent federal cuts to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) did not renew Emory University’s Fellowships in Research and Science Teaching (FIRST) program, according to Senior Program Coordinator of FIRST Angela Shennette. The FIRST program unites Atlanta universities in a shared initiative to help postdoctoral researchers develop both research and teaching skills to prepare them for careers in academia. A study from 2017 found that of the 177 FIRST Fellows who had been in the program, about 50% are African American. Shennette called FIRST’s promotion of diversity “promising” for the academic world.
The NIH’s decision to not renew FIRST comes as U.S. President Donald Trump has attempted to eliminate publicly funded programs related to DEI, values which FIRST has emphasized in the past.
The program’s five-year contract will end on Aug. 31, according to Shennette. For fellows whose research funding comes exclusively from the FIRST program, Shennette said that day will likely be their last being employed by the initiative.
In response to a question about the program’s closure, Assistant Vice President of University Communications Laura Diamond referred The Emory Wheel to a page regarding the University’s response to federal directives.
On April 2, National Institute of General Medical Sciences Division of Training and Workforce Development Director Kenneth Gibbs Jr. emailed FIRST Director of Professional Development Lou Ann Brown announcing the program’s termination.
FIRST Postdoctoral Fellow Jasmine Hope (15C, 22G) emphasized the impact ending the FIRST program will have on the availability and quality of scientific research.
“There’s definitely going to be less people who are doing this very important innovative research,” Hope said. “And then for the people who are going to still be able to do it, there’s going to be less training.”
During the program’s history, FIRST has provided postdoctoral fellows the opportunity to conduct scientific research at Emory and other Atlanta institutions through the Atlanta University Center Consortium, like Clark Atlanta University (Ga.), Morehouse College (Ga.), Morehouse School of Medicine (Ga.) and Spelman College (Ga.). According to FIRST Fellow Monica Thieu, by working with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), FIRST has led to an increase in the number of postdoctoral researchers from underrepresented backgrounds.
Hope mentioned that while promoting diversity is not necessarily at the heart of the program, FIRST is an opportunity for postdoctoral researchers of diverse racial backgrounds to learn from one another, especially through interactions with fellows from HBCUs.
“It's good to be able to have the opportunity to teach, not just a racially different background, but people with different career goals,” Hope said. “The conversations that I've had while mentoring my Emory students versus my Spelman students, while there is some overlap, it kind of broadens my skill set and how to help them.”
Shennette highlighted that the FIRST program helped increase representation in higher education research and faculty, especially considering the disproportionate lack of diversity currently in higher education research.
“All too many times, you go to different academic settings, other colleges, and you look and you don’t see as many people that look like me,” Shennette said.
FIRST has successfully created a path from learning to teaching to conducting research for FIRST postdoctoral researchers since its founding in 2000. An NIH study that surveyed 145 FIRST alumni found 64% became science faculty at universities, 13% at community colleges and K-12 schools and 24% entered the science industry through some other avenue. The NIH has renewed the program five times since its start 25 years ago, according to Shennette.
According to Thieu, program cuts will translate to unemployment for many postdocs since performing research relies on grant funding for their salaries. Thieu said FIRST postdocs are trying to transfer to other programs at Emory whose grants are still active but speculated that many will need to seek opportunities at other universities due to limited spots at Emory.
With the program’s funding not being renewed, FIRST Postdoctoral Fellow Tommy Lee mentioned that he is considering pivoting from his lifelong dream of becoming a tenured professor.
“Postdoctoral FIRST fellows are honestly thinking about other types of careers that might be more supportive of us, in terms of financially or otherwise, potentially moving away from academia, moving towards industry or moving into a different type of position that doesn’t allow us to realize our ultimate dream of becoming faculty members,” Lee said.
Shennette called the end of this program “bittersweet” and highlighted the progress she has seen among the postdocs she has worked with during her tenure.
“It's amazing to see where they started and where they are now,” Shennette said. “I have the amazing opportunity to have them, watch them, into the program.”
Lee described the impact of the FIRST program on his life as “tremendous.” He highlighted the unique opportunity to partner with HBCUs as part of his research and teaching journey.
“Not only am I able to impart science knowledge to the students, they also teach me a lot too about how to work with diverse populations and how to successfully mentor many different types of students traditionally from marginalized backgrounds,” Lee said.
Thieu, also an Emory postdoctoral fellow of psychology and chair of the University’s Postdoctoral Association, emphasized how FIRST aimed at deconstructing barriers in the field of science for Black postdoctoral researchers, who are historically underrepresented.
“Specifically because those schools serve Black students, it was a chance to increase access for minoritized undergrads to get involved in science,” Thieu said.
Hope praised the program’s collaborative community, which she said she has experienced through connecting with fellows and teaching at Spelman.
“That experience has been invaluable,” Hope said. “It’s been so enriching. It has really confirmed for me that teaching is what I want to do.”
In addition, Thieu said the program has supported many current faculty members of Emory’s biology department. She also noted the potential adverse effects on future teaching quality due to the grant not being renewed.
“Much of the biology department [at Emory] comes from this program,” Thieu said. “If you’ve taken and enjoyed a biology class, it was probably a FIRST alum who was your professor. Losing this means not only that we are losing research talent, but we’re also losing teaching talent. Emory is going to be worse off.”
Hope emphasized the upending effect that the end of the program has had on her life, especially on her postdoctoral research career as a new mother.
“At the end of the day, as much as I love research and I love what I’m doing when it comes to teaching, and I want to find, ideally, a job where I can teach and do some research,” Hope said, “Still, I have to also think about my well-being, my son’s well-being, my husband’s.”
Jacob Muscolino (he/him) (28C) is a News Editor at The Emory Wheel. He is from Long Island and plans to major in History and Psychology. Outside of the Wheel, he is involved in Emory Reads and Emory Economics Review. You can often find Jacob watching the newest blockbuster for his Letterboxd, dissecting The New York Times and traveling to the next destination on his bucket list.
