The UA Undergraduate Summer Research Opportunities Program: Increasing Diversity

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The University of Arizona's Graduate College seeks NHLBI support to continue a very successful summer research training program for underrepresented undergraduates with majors in biology. The Summer Research Opportunities Program aims to increase the number of underrepresented students who pursue Ph.D.s in biomedical science by introducing these students to research in pulmonary, heart and vascular, and blood diseases and disorders under the supervision of highly experienced UA faculty working in these areas, by exposing them to lectures on biomedical research on diseases and disorders affecting certain populations disproportionately, by increasing the students skills in presenting their research orally and through a poster, and by providing extensive assistance in the graduate school application process including a GRE Preparation workshop. Specifically, we are requesting funding to support 40 underrepresented undergraduate students, 10 in each year of the grant, to engage in a ten-week intensive summer research experience during the summer between their junior and senior years. SROP, started five years ago to provide research opportunities to students from HSIs, HBCUs and regional institutions with large populations of low income, first generation students, already has contributed to the enrollment of 31-participants in Ph.D. programs at top universities throughout the country. It has also contributed to the UA's ability to dramatically increase the number of underrepresented students in Ph.D. programs in biomedical areas, an increase from 20 students in 2001 to 63 students in fall 2005, a 300% increase. This program has also shown that a focus on diseases and disorders that affect certain groups disproportionately, stimulates young people from these backgrounds to pursue summer research and eventually careers in biomedical areas (End of Abstract)