OBJECTIVES/GOALS: The Building Up Study tests the effectiveness of an intervention aimed to diversify the workforce using a two-arm cluster randomized trial. We examined how underrepresented (UR) participants’ perceptions of institutional inclusion affected burnout, intent to continue training, and perceived stress. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Building Up was conducted at 25 institutions with 225 UR post-doctoral fellow or early-career faculty participants. To assess perceived institutional inclusion, participants completed a 28-item survey in the first year of follow-up. We used descriptive statistics to describe age, race/ethnicity, and gender. We used exploratory factor analysis to extract factors or domains (survey questions that grouped together). We calculated mean domain scores and used correlations to assess associations between each domain and each dependent variable (burnout, intent to continue training, and perceived stress). Demographics, correlation coefficients and associated p-values are presented. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: 130 of 144 eligible participants completed all questions. The mean age was 39 years (SD = 6), 83% were female, 35% identified as non-Hispanic Black, and 36% identified as Hispanic. Greater inclusivity was associated with lower burnout across 5/6 identified domains: policies (-0.3, p DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: These findings suggest that institutional inclusion is associated with differences in capacity to function among UR postdocs and early-career faculty. Inclusivity of leaders was only associated with intent to continue training. Inclusion coupled with employee support and development are important for positive outcomes.

The COVID-19 pandemic had an immediate impact on the lives and work of early-career researchers. We leveraged a cluster-randomized trial and compared survey data collected over two timepoints to explore whether these impacts persisted. Although more than a year had passed, 74% of participants reported that their research was affected in multiple ways in both 2020 and 2021. These data suggest that the effects of the pandemic on early-career researchers may be prolonged. Our findings additionally serve as an impetus to identify and implement solutions to early-career challenges that undoubtedly existed before the pandemic, but which COVID-19 brought into the spotlight.

Underrepresented minorities have higher attrition from the professoriate and have experienced greater negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to compare the impact of COVID-19 on the lives of 196 early-career physician-scientists versus PhD researchers who are underrepresented in biomedical research. Participants in the Building Up study answered questions on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their personal and professional lives, and a mixed-methods approach was used to conduct the analysis. While most participants experienced increases in overall stress (72% of PhD researchers vs 76% of physician-scientists), physician-scientists reported that increased clinical demands, research delays, and the potential to expose family members to SARS-CoV-2 caused psychological distress, specifically. PhD researchers, more than physician-scientists, reported increased productivity (27% vs 9%), schedule flexibilities (49% vs 25%), and more quality time with friends and family (40% vs 24%). Future studies should consider assessing the effectiveness of programs addressing COVID-19-related challenges experienced by PhD researchers and physician-scientists, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds.

The Building Up Trial is a cluster-randomized trial that aims to address the issue of the leaky career pathway for underrepresented (UR) faculty in biomedical fields. Regulatory approval and recruitment for the Building Up Trial took place during the COVID-19 pandemic and the anti-racism movement. The pandemic and anti-racism movement personally and professionally impacted the target population and made recruitment challenging at both the institution and participant level. The target sample size for this study was 208 postdoctoral fellows or early-career faculty across 26 predominately white institutions. Challenges and adaptations are described. The Building Up Trial was delayed by 3 months. In total, 225 participants from 26 institutions were enrolled. Participants are predominately female (80%), Hispanic/Latinx (34%) or non-Hispanic/Latinx Black (33%), and early-career faculty (53%). At the institution level, obtaining Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval through a single Institutional Review Board (sIRB) posed the biggest challenge. We adapted to COVID-19-related challenges through simplifying sIRB forms, modifying study practices, and increasing communication with institutions. Recruiting UR postdoctoral fellows and faculty during the COVID-19 pandemic and anti-racism movement was challenging but not impossible. Studies should be prepared to modify study and recruitment policies to overcome additional barriers posed by the pandemics.