The AUA Research Council has embraced the need for creating a more diverse and inclusive culture among urological researchers by striving to embed these values in our research grants and research education programming. The Research Council and the Office of Research are working to create environments where we celebrate what is both common and different among our stakeholders, thus ultimately improving our support to the urological research community.

In 2021, we created the Office of Research Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Workgroup. Its initial task was to conduct a review of AUA Research programming with respect to DEI efforts. Over the course of a year, the Research DEI Workgroup assessed the current state of the Office of Research leadership committees, mentored-research training grants, investigator support programs, and research conferences and workshops. The group also evaluated existing solicitation, review, selection, and administrative processes with respect to increasing participation from underrepresented groups in biomedical research. The result of this work was a set of actionable recommendations for improving DEI in these programs and for providing additional support to individuals from underrepresented minorities (URMs). Currently, we are working with the Research Education, Conferences, and Communications Committee (RECCC), and the Research Grants and Investigator Support Committee (RGISC) to implement these recommendations. The DEI Workgroup will continue their efforts in 2023 by overseeing and monitoring implementation efforts for the established programs. The Workgroup will also review and evaluate all new programs and initiatives to ensure the DEI recommendations are incorporated as these programs are developed.

Our future successes in the field of urology depend on the creation of a growing and engaged pipeline of talented individuals to advance the health of our patients. We have worked with the Urology Care Foundation to provide research opportunities for URM throughout the existing AUA research and discovery cycles. In the 2022 award season, we awarded $1.55 million in grant funding that supported 48 researchers, 39% of whom were women and 27% of whom were individuals from racial/ethnic groups underrepresented in biomedical sciences. In 2022, we offered 2 industry-sponsored DEI Residency Research awards to support awardees from racial and/or ethnic groups underrepresented in research and 1 industry-sponsored DEI Research Scholar award to support a clinical or postdoctoral fellow in health disparities research in urologic oncology. In 2022, we also established 5 new diversity-based Summer Medical Student Fellowship awards sponsored by 4 AUA sections, and in 2023 these awards will increase to 7 awards sponsored by 5 AUA sections.

2022 UCF/AUA Office of Research Award Highlights

$1.55 million in grant funding

10 DEI-focused awards

48 researchers supported

39% Women awardees

27% URM awardees

Together with the Urology Care Foundation and our industry partners we are creating new methods of research support for diverse urology researcher populations. To support residents from groups underrepresented in benign urological research, the Leadership in Education, Achievement, and Diversity (LEAD) program, sponsored by Urovant Sciences, was awarded to the first 3 recipients in 2022. More recently, we also launched the Boston Scientific Medical Student Innovation Fellowship to fund a 12-month research project for a medical student interested in translating urology research into innovation. This award has a strong preference for award applicants from groups underrepresented in urology and/or projects focused on health disparities.

Another vital component to diversifying the urology research pipeline is supporting meaningful mentorship. Our Urology Scientific Mentoring and Research Training (USMART) Academy focuses on pairing early-career physician-scientists with accomplished mentors to support the transition to independence and larger sources of research funding. This year, the AUA doubled its class of USMART mentees from 5 to 10 and met the goal that at least 50% of the mentees in the 2022 cohort would be from groups underrepresented in urological research. As a result, the USMART Academy has incorporated this rate of representation as a regular goal for new mentee cohorts moving forward and is also working to increase the diversity of mentors. Previously open only to top-scoring Research Scholar and Rising Star grant applicants, in the 2023 season the USMART Academy opened the application process to a wider urological research community to encourage a larger and more diverse pool of applicants.

Through our implementation of these DEI efforts, we have identified challenges that we are actively working to overcome. Despite the availability of new research grant opportunities for individuals from underrepresented backgrounds and our efforts to inform the urological community of these opportunities, we have experienced low application numbers. We need to create a more robust and diverse urology research pipeline earlier at the medical school, college, and even high school levels. We also need to find new and creative ways to provide information about AUA Office of Research opportunities to the next generation. Recognizing this, we will focus on the expansion of a targeted network of researchers, collaborators, and facilitators to engage with and inform young people about the great specialty of urology and its incredible opportunities.

We have just begun the journey to ensure a diverse and inclusive future for urology research and there is so much more to do. We must embrace the future and the challenges that lie ahead. We are stronger when we work together to actively listen and take action to improve the AUA’s support to current and future urology researchers.