MARC at Wayne State University

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Project Summary The mission of Wayne State University (WSU)—to create and advance knowledge, prepare a diverse student body to thrive, and positively impact local and global communities—is in line with the goals and vision for the proposed T34 program. Located in Detroit, Michigan, WSU is and has historically been a stabilizing institution in the city and region. WSU is committed to driving this growth, and over the last five years has recruited over 50 new faculty members in the sciences alone. New faculty are drawn to WSU for various reasons, including the diversity of the region, the exceptional facilities, and the success of our faculty, as evidenced in part by a 30% increase in federal funding since 2014. WSU is well-positioned to request continued support for its transition from a successful R25 program to a T34 program, at the level of 20 undergraduate students per year. The goal of the WSU program is to provide targeted training and mentoring that is individualized to meet the needs of a diverse body of graduate students to facilitate successful completion of B.S. degrees and transition to Ph.D. and M.D./Ph.D. programs after graduation. Ultimately, these students will develop careers in the biomedical sciences, and will go on to serve as mentors to future generations. Trainees will be selected at the end of their freshman year for participation in a pre-MARC year during their sophomore year. At the end of the pre-MARC year, students will be selected for participation in the MARC program that will last for two years for each student. Participation in year-round research experiences, starting between the sophomore and junior years, will be a part of the program. As with the R25 that is being replaced, the T34 program will focus on developing and enhancing academic skills in addition to providing access to research experiences. Students in the program will be part of our learning community, and remain active throughout their entire training at WSU, with enhanced opportunities for teaching and mentoring. Specifically, we aim to provide (1) MARC students with a structured learning community designed to facilitate and enhance professional bonds that will enable them to learn and develop skills necessary to be successful in future biomedical careers; (2) mentored research experiences coupled with programs and experiences that will enhance the academic program success of MARC students; and (3) all MARC students with a clear structure for transitioning from undergraduate training to graduate school and biomedical careers. These activities are intended to provide opportunities for student trainees to develop skills in basic college proficiencies, presentation, teaching, and mentoring that will not only maintain their focus on career goals, but also develop professional skills that they will use in their future careers. We propose to build on the successes of our long-established R25 program with modifications based on an evolving demographic and social culture of our students. The proposed program will provide academic development and research experience at a large, urban, research institution with an extremely diverse student population to a more personal level for our trainees.