UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT TRAINING ACADEMIC RESEARCH

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Northern Arizona University's MARC U*STAR Program proposes to support 10 under-represented undergraduate students per year. Our MARC Program will build on the foundation and experience of the successful MSD Program, which it has administered since 1998. The goal of the MARC U*STAR Program is to increase the pool of talented undergraduate minority students who are: 1) well prepared academically; 2) have research experience and competence; and 3) are motivated to apply for and gain acceptance into graduate programs leading to the Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. The single most important measurable objective of the MARC U*STAR program is to increase the rates of application for graduate programs leading to doctoral degrees in the biomedical sciences. Establishment of a MARC U*STAR Program will significantly strengthen this effort. Our ambitious goal for the MARC U*STAR Program is to increase the percentage of students who apply to graduate programs from 33 to 50 percent . We would also hope to maintain a 100 percent acceptance rate for those students who do apply. In pursuing our objectives we propose two components whose goal is to increase the success rate of talented under-represented undergraduate students. These components will build upon our success with the MSD Program: 1) Academic Enrichment and 2) Research Participation. Academic enrichment for MARC fellows will involve: 1) a one-day orientation to the program; 2) development and implementation of new courses ("Ethics in Research" and "Introduction to Biomedical Research"); 3) development and implementation of workshops ("Biomedical Instrumentation" and "Use of Animals in Biomedical Research"); 4) a Biomedical Sciences Seminar Series; and 5) preparation for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Research Participation through intramural and extramural research training will provide extensive research experience. We expect that these MARC activities will increase the academic achievement of minority students science. We strongly feel that a solid science curriculum combined with quality research can reinforce and strengthen the student's determination to pursue graduate training leading to a Ph.D. in a biomedically related science.