Preparing Diverse Transfer Students for Research Careers in Neuroscience

项目摘要 越来越多的本科生（UC系统中约30%）进入研究型大学 在社区大学待了两年多。转学生更有可能代表性不足 少数民族（URM）或第一代大学生，他们很少继续攻读博士学位。 虽然他们中的许多人表示对研究感兴趣，但他们很少或根本没有机会获得这种研究。 在社区大学的经历。在被大学录取后不久，他们往往会选择退出 科学研究的职业生涯，特别是继续研究生院的想法。响应 为了满足这一需求，也为了增加我们神经科学受训者群体的多样性， 在这里，我们提出了一个计划，为转学生提供技能，指导， 研究经验，以提高他们在研究生涯中的成功机会。我们的建议 建立在START计划的基础上，该计划在三年内带来了一批URM， 这代人在夏天把学生送到加州大学圣地亚哥分校，然后才被录取。的 START计划和其他类似的计划已经为这些学生带来了更好的结果。经由 与当地社区学院合作， 计划（AEP），STARTneuro计划将开始，确定感兴趣的学生之前， 适用于UCSD。被接受的参与者将参加为期10周的夏桥 计划，在神经科学技术方面进行密集和沉浸式的全天实验室培训， 基因表达和功能。每个学生还将设计和实现一个 基于夏季模块的独立研究项目。在学年中， 学生将定期与教师见面，被引导到实验室实习，并在 申请夏季研究奖学金一个核心小组的教师谁 已经证明成功指导本科生将提供研究经验 确保参与者能够在科学研究中取得成功所必需的管理 超越大学

Project Summary An increasing number of undergraduates (~30% in the UC System) enter research universities after 2+ years in community colleges. Transfer students are more likely to be underrepresented minorities (URMs) or first-generation college students, and they seldom continue on to the PhD. Although many of them express interest in research, they have little to no access to such experiences at community colleges. Soon after matriculating at universities, they tend to opt out of scientific research careers, particularly the idea of continuing to graduate school. In response to this need and in the interest of increasing diversity in our population of neuroscience trainees, here we propose a program to provide transfer students with the skills, mentorship, and research experience to improve their chances of success in a research career. Our proposal builds on the START program, which for three years brought cohorts of URMs and first- generation transfer students to campus in the summer before they matriculated at UCSD. The START program, and others like it, have resulted in improved outcomes for these students. Via a partnership with local community colleges in collaboration with Academic Enrichment Programs (AEP), the STARTneuro program will begin by identifying interested students before they apply to UCSD. Accepted participants will then engage in a 10-week summer bridge program, with intensive and immersive full-day lab training in neuroscience techniques, from physiology to gene expression and function. Each student will also design and implement an independent research project based on the summer modules. During the academic year, students will meet regularly with faculty, be shepherded into lab internships, and be mentored in applying for a summer research scholarship the following summer. A core group of faculty who have demonstrated success mentoring undergraduates will provide the research experience and stewardship necessary to ensure that participants can succeed in scientific research beyond college.