MARC at University of Hawaii at Manoa

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MARC@UHM will strive for “Hoʻoulu nā laeʻula akeakamai”, a Hawaiian phrase meaning “good mentoring leads to well-trained scientists.” According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, the undergraduate (UG) student body and faculty at the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UHM) are the most diverse in the nation, but inequities persist. Only 8.5% of PhD candidates in STEM-related programs at UHM are underrepresented (UR) backgrounds. UHM has a rich pool of UR students who are not entering STEM-related PhD programs and therefore are not contributing their cultural diversity to our nation's scientific workforce. Thus, the mission of MARC@UHM is to provide training in biological research for a diverse group of UHM students, including Hawaiian/Part Hawaiian, other Pacific Islanders (Samoan, Tongan, Micronesian, Guamanian/Chamorro, mixed Pacific Islander), Filipino, Hispanic, African American; underrepresented Asians (e.g., Cambodian, Vietnamese, Laotian); those from disadvantaged backgrounds, including low social-economic and residents of rural outer islands; and students with apparent and non-apparent disabilities. MARC@UHM's objectives are to i) enroll 10 students annually and teach them to identify important research questions, design and conduct rigorous and reproducible experiments, and analyze data and interpret results, ii) provide each trainee with 4 semesters of mentored research and a summer research experience; iii) develop skills trainees need to be competitive in graduate school and in careers as research professionals, and iv) assist each trainee in applying to at least 5 graduate school programs early in the senior year. An estimated >900 UR STEM students in biomedical research are eligible for the MARC@Hawaii Program. The Training Plan starts with recruiting high school seniors entering UHM, especially those from the outer islands, to a Pre-MARC (The Ma Mua MARC) Program as freshman and sophomores. The Ma Mua MARC encourages UR STEM majors to consider research as a career option, invites them to attend MARC-seminars and functions, and creates a community of peers. The 2-year program from juniors and seniors begins with a summer workshop, “Let's get started” where trainees and research mentors are paired. The Plan includes: a 2-credit course each semester designed specifically for MARC trainees, 4 semesters of mentored research, a summer research experience (either at UHM or working with a collaborator of their UHM mentor at an external site), a short workshop, attending a national meeting annually, and presenting their research at professional meetings. Over 25 UHM faculty and 10 faculty at external sites with diverse backgrounds in ethnicity, age, gender, and rank will participate. The primary outcome measure is the number of trainees graduating with BA/BS in 4-years who transition to research-intensive Graduate Programs. Thus, MARC@UHM seeks to increase Hawaii's UR citizens who transition to research careers, as they bring diverse cultural backgrounds, life experiences, ideas, and interests to biomedical research.