Team Science: Advancing Women and Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color on the Pathway of Conducting Clinical Research

Abstract

Introduction: Innovative discovery begins with diverse perspectives; research teams should harness this model. Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC) and women are underrepresented as researchers. Team science leverages collaborative and cross-disciplinary approaches to diversify the research workforce, and introduces academic (and non-academic) faculty with limited research exposure/experience to clinical research. Methods: In 2020, two Black women academic physicians implemented an academic collaborative – COVID-19 Characteristics, Readmissions, Outcomes, and Social Determinants of Health (CROSS) – to investigate COVID-19 health inequities, with intentional recruitment of BIPOC and women. The 37 CROSS team members were of diverse races, ethnicities, sex, specialties, and disciplines, and represented eight hospitals. Team members were electronically surveyed to determine their interest, desired activities, and level of participation in research activities; concurrently, self-identified demographics (including race, ethnicity, sex, and language(s) spoken) were obtained. Results: All team members completed the survey: 78.4% ( n = 29) were BIPOC and 78.4% ( n = 29) were women. Team members spoke 18 languages (including English). Academic medical ranks included Assistant Professor (32.4%; n = 12), Associate Professor (16.2%; n = 6), and Full Professor (2.7%; n = 1). Each member identified desired activities (data collection, data analytics, manuscript development, abstract development/poster presentation, serving as a consultant) and the percentage of time they intended to allocate to each. Between June 2020 and February 2023, the team produced five original peer-reviewed manuscripts (including this article); five members served as first or senior authors. Twenty-one abstracts were presented at local conferences, and 10 at national and regional conferences. Five members achieved academic promotion, and team members were awarded three intramural grants resulting directly from team collaborations. Conclusion: Intentional recruitment and assessment of team members’ desired levels of participation in an integrated clinical research team is an effective strategy to engage BIPOC and women. The CROSS Collaborative is a model for diversity and inclusion in team science and clinical research.