RCMS: Research Careers for Minority Scholars Program at City College

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9450353 Parker RCMS at the City College of the City University of New York, Phase II In the second phase of RCMS funding, City College of the City University of New York proposes an ongoing comprehensive effort aimed at encouraging minority students to enter research careers in engineering and science, beginning with the recruitment of potential RCMS Scholars from City College undergraduates and culminating in their placement in appropriate doctoral programs. The hear of the program to shaping the next generation of minority researchers in Phase II will continue to be a four-year multifaceted approach based on a careful balancing of enrichment programs, research experience, academic counseling, professional counseling, communications development, community awareness, summer internships, and graduate school counseling. RCMS shall of course continue to draw on the resources of the many existing special programs for outstanding students at the College, but the RCMS Scholars will continue to have many additional opportunities for academic enrichment. Through their involvement with faculty mentors, RCMS scholars continue to be given first-hand experience with scientific research. In addition, RCMS will continue to provide an environment where Scholars can become actively involved members of a close-knit community of scholars and students from several disciplines. RCMS Scholars, both among themselves and along with scholars from similar program, will participate in a number of activities that draw them together as a group, teaching and learning from one another, as well as from the faculty, each Scholar guided and supported in a wide range of experiences that comprise his or her apprenticeship as a prospective researcher. Moreover, the program not only will benefit the intended group of RCMS Scholars and increase the probability that they will pursue careers as researchers, but will also enrich the academic experience of all students and faculty at the College. This eff ort to recruit researchers is envisioned as at once the hub of various special activities on campus and as a means of bringing into clearer focus a great many key issues in the effort to increase the numbers of minority researchers in science and engineering. RCMS shall also continue to draw on other resources by continuing to forge collaborative relationships with colleges, universities, research laboratories and community-based organizations. With a highly successful summer internship program already in place with several universities across the United States, RCMS is already well positioned to significantly expand on the summer internship program. RCMS, in Phase II, will maintain a steady state of 60 RCMS undergraduate scholars as well as 15 "AMP Affiliates" -- New York Alliance undergraduate students transferring from community colleges to the RCMS. The total cost of the project over a four year period will be $2,514,845, with NSF providing $1,669,663, City College contributing $545,212, and CUNY-AMP providing $300,000 for "AMP Affiliates," with $30,000 for supplies. RCMS will in turn provide ancillary support to all AMP students at City College consisting of enrichment activities, counseling, mentoring, communications workshops, monthly scholars' meetings and the like. RCMS will also seek out additional funding. An evaluation will be conducted to learn the extend to which the program has been successful in identifying and fostering the development of students who go on to careers as research scientists and engineering. This assessment will involve direct measurement of the impact of the program upon students and learning from mentors and other associated faculty how they view the program's accomplishments. To these ends, pre- and post-program evaluation instruments will be designed, applied, and analyzed.