Bridges to the Baccalaureate Research Training Program at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

项目摘要 多样化的生物医学科学研究队伍对国家保持全球领先至关重要。 在科学发现和创新方面具有竞争力。一条漏水的管道通往 研究科学职业是社区学院（CC）机构学生的入学考试 随后进入四年制院校的学士学位课程。因此，本提案旨在 开发一个项目，该项目将支持德克萨斯大学里约分校 格兰德谷和我们的合作CC，德克萨斯州最南端学院（TSC）和南德克萨斯州 大学（STC）。这三个机构位于德克萨斯州南部的格兰德河山谷（RGV）， 这些国家承受着不成比例的健康差距负担，如肥胖、糖尿病和 贫困和文盲加剧了心理健康问题， 健康护理这些学术机构位于卡梅隆和伊达尔戈县， 特点是大量的西班牙裔人口（分别为89.8%和92.3%）和高贫困率 贫困率（分别占生活在联邦贫困线以下人口的27.7%和29.5%）。 虽然UTRGV与TSC和STC都有谅解备忘录， 从社区学院无缝转移到，转移率到学士学位课程， 特别是在UTRGV生物医学科学（BMED）的BS是非常低或之间变化 年转移率方面的障碍可能与缺乏对 BMED学位课程和生物医学科学的职业机会，具体的学术 准备和充分的咨询和支持服务，以便在4年内转移和成功 学院目前，我们没有支持成功转移的正式计划 从TSC或STC到UTRGV，并成功完成BMED学位。为了努力 实现桥梁学士学位计划的长期目标，以增加多样性 生物医学研究人员，UTRGV，TSC和STC致力于增加数量 代表性不足的学生谁：1）成功地完成他们的副学士学位， 转入UTRGV BMED计划，2）完成BMED计划，3）申请 研究生院和/或进入生物医学科学研究队伍。通过自我- 评估为实现这一目标需要改进和加强的领域， 提出了以下具体目标：1）与社区学院建立伙伴关系 招收对生物医学科学感兴趣的潜在学生，2）培养高级 研究技能发展课程，3）提供指导研究经验 辅以培养研究能力的活动; 4）制定方法， 改善生物医学科学教育。

PROJECT SUMMARY A diverse biomedical science research workforce is vital to the nation in remaining globally competitive in scientific discovery and innovation. One of the leaky pipelines in the pathway to research science careers is the matriculation of students at community college (CC) institutions and subsequently to baccalaureate programs at four-year institutions. Thus, this proposal aims to develop a program, which will support this pipeline between the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and our partnering CCs, Texas Southmost College (TSC) and South Texas College (STC). These three institutions are in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) of South Texas, which bears the disproportionate burden of health disparities such as obesity, diabetes and mental health issues which are exacerbated by poverty and illiteracy and are underserved in healthcare. These academic institutions are located in Cameron and Hidalgo County, which is characterized by a large Hispanic population (89.8 and 92.3%, respectively) and a high poverty rate (27.7 and 29.5%, respectively of the population living below the federal poverty line). Although UTRGV has memorandum of understanding with both TSC and STC to facilitate seamless transfer from the community colleges to, transfer rates to a BS degree program and specifically to the BS in Biomedical Sciences (BMED) at UTRGV are very low or vary between years. The impediments in transfer rates may be associated with a lack of awareness of the BMED degree program and career opportunities in biomedical sciences, specific academic preparation and adequate advising and support services for transfer and success in a 4-year college. Currently, we do not have a formal program that supports successful transfer from TSC or STC to UTRGV and successful completion of a BMED degree. In an effort to fulfill the long-term goal of the Bridges to Baccalaureate program to increase diversity in the biomedical research workforce, UTRGV, TSC and STC are committed to increase the number of underrepresented students who: 1) successfully complete their Associate degrees and transfer to the UTRGV BMED program, 2) complete the BMED program and 3) apply to graduate school and/or enter the biomedical science research workforce. Through self- assessment of areas that need to be improved and strengthened to achieve this goal, the following specific aims have been proposed: 1) Establish Partnership with community colleges to Recruit Potential Students who are Interested in Biomedical Sciences, 2) Develop Advanced Courses for Research Skills Development, 3) Provide Mentored-Research Experience Supplemented with Activities to Develop Research Competencies and 4) Develop Methods to Improve Biomedical Science Education.