An Innovative Pilot Program Approach to Facilitating Interdisciplinary Collaboration Among STEM and Public Health...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Research
• Public Health
• STEM Education

Background:

• Traditional research internships often focus on a single STEM discipline.
• This limits opportunities to develop interdisciplinary collaboration skills essential for translational research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To pilot an innovative, interdisciplinary research internship program.
• To assess the program's impact on students' research self-efficacy and satisfaction.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of a cohort-based model for STEM and public health students.

Main Methods:

• A 5-day virtual spring break research internship was conducted via Zoom.
• The program included two tracks: technology (STEM students) and policy (public health students).
• Activities involved interactive sessions, digital tools, group discussions, and collaborative problem-solving.

Main Results:

• 21 participants attended; 17 completed pre/post self-assessments, and 18 completed satisfaction surveys.
• Participants reported increased research self-efficacy and high overall satisfaction.
• Student feedback emphasized the significant value of interdisciplinary collaboration.

Conclusions:

• The pilot program demonstrated the benefits of early interdisciplinary collaboration in research.
• The cohort-based internship model proved effective for engineering and public health students.
• The program's success suggests potential for wider adoption and curriculum refinement.