Phase II: San Francisco State University – SF BUILD

Several of the SF BUILD models, initiatives and dissemination efforts have been institutionalized during Phase I. SF BUILD focuses on linking the lived experiences and values of students and faculty to health disparities research and enabling them to become “agents of change.” The overall goal is to contribute to national efforts for greater social justice and inclusion in biomedical research. The social justice value is anchored in the institutional culture of San Francisco State University (SF State), and promoting greater inclusion in biomedical research is an institutional directive for the University of California San Francisco (UCSF). As an ongoing research partner in Phase II, UCSF, aims to become the most inclusive academic medical institution in the country.

Attainment of this objective is bolstered by the strong partnership between SF State and UCSF that was grown in Phase I and that will expand in Phase II. Together they will continue their work to “fix the institution” as opposed to "fix the individuals" using systems-level approaches to institutional transformation. These efforts will be guided by the 4A model for institutional transformation that was developed as an outcome of Phase I findings. In Phase II, SF BUILD will implement, evaluate, and disseminate the 4A model. Implementation of this model is expected to build awareness of the root causes of educational disparities, as well as acceptance of their institutional causes, so that systems-level actions can be taken that are assessed for their efficacy in enabling full representation in science.