University of Puerto Rico at Cayey-RISE Program

描述(由申请人提供)：为了改善我们的整体学术环境，MBRS项目于1985年启动，旨在为UPRC的学生成为科学家做准备。作为这一长期目标的一部分，我们在这份申请中建议通过专注于学生技能发展来改进和扩大我们的RISE计划。将对这些变化进行评估，并由一名外部评估员与活动协调员、计划主任和RISE咨询委员会合作监测每个组成部分。RISE计划通过提供三个组成部分来满足三个需求，1-缺乏意识，2-缺乏研究经验，3-有限的英语语言技能：访问科学家、实践研究和暑期研究。所有组件都满足了需求。来访的科学家用英语举办研讨会和工作坊，以提高学生对新技术和新发现、新科学职业的认识，并充当榜样。亲身实践的教师导师提供为期一学期的研究经验和研讨会。这两项活动都是为了激励和培养成为科学家所需的技能。这一部分有校内和岛上的导师在学生的头两年与他们一起工作，为他们提供咨询，保持他们的兴趣，并集中他们的目标。在这两年的时间里，学生将与五位不同的导师合作，学习分子生物学、细胞生物学、遗传学、组织学等方面的实验设计基础和相关技术。最后，暑期研究允许大二、大三和大四的学生通过在研究密集型机构与岛外的科学家一起工作十周来体验研究生生活。每个组成部分都使学生和教职员工能够通过与不同的专家群体互动来发展基本的研究技能：1)校园内的教员导师，2)位于选定附属机构的岛上研究导师，3)来自岛外大学的访问科学家，以及4)位于合作机构的科学家。每一个组成部分都对学生的发展提出了挑战，利用适当的环境和专业知识水平培养出将成为生物医学研究科学家的UPRC校友。目前，32%的MBA毕业生(n=226)正在攻读博士学位(n=46，%=20)或硕士学位(n=28，%=12)。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): To improve our overall academic environment, the MBRS program was initiated in 1985 to prepare UPRC students to become scientists. As part of this long term goal, we are proposing in this application to improve and expand our RISE program by concentrating on student skill development. These changes will be assessed and each component monitored by an external evaluator working with the activity coordinators, the program director, and the RISE Advisory Committee. The RISE program addresses three needs, 1-lack of awareness, 2-lack of research experience, and 3-limited English language skills, by offering three components: visiting scientists, hands-on research, and summer research. All components address the needs. Visiting scientists present seminars and workshops in English to improve student awareness of new techniques and discoveries, of new science careers, and to serve as role models. Hands-on faculty mentors offer semester long research experiences and workshops. Both activities are tailored to motivate and build the skills needed to be scientists. This component has on-campus and on-island mentors working with students during their first two years to counsel, to maintain their interests and focus their goals. During this two year period students will work with five different mentors learning the bases of experimental design and the associated techniques in molecular biology, cell biology, genetics, histology, etc. Finally, summer research allows sophomores, juniors and seniors to experience graduate school life by working for ten weeks with off-island scientists at research intensive institutions. Each component enables students and faculty to develop basic research skills by interacting with a different group of experts: 1) on-campus faculty mentors, 2) on-island research mentors located at selected affiliated institutions, 3) visiting scientists from off-island universities, and 4) scientists located in collaborating institutions. Each component challenges the students as they develop utilizing the appropriate environment and level of expertise to produce UPRC alumni who will be biomedical research scientists. Currently 32% of all MBRS graduates (n=226) are pursuing either a Ph.D. (n=46, %=20) or an M.S. degree (n=28, %=12).