Virginia Union University MARC U*STAR Program

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of the VUU MARC U*STAR program is to increase the number of well prepared minority students who compete successfully for admission into graduate programs leading to the Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. degrees in the biomedical sciences, and pursue careers in biomedical research. To accomplish this, the program has set the following quantifiable objectives for the next five years: (1) to raise the quality of students admitted into the participating departments (Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Psychology); (2) to increase by 50%, relative to the current level, the pool of MARC-eligible students in the participating departments; and (3) to increase by 3 each year, over the next five years, the number of MARC graduates enrolled in Ph.D. degree programs in the biomedical sciences. We propose to achieve these objectives through a comprehensive academic and research training program that includes (1) an aggressive recruitment of high caliber students to the program; (2) early identification and immersion of interested and committed students into biomedical research; (3) tutorial and Supplemental Instructions programs for enhanced academic achievement in gatekeeper courses; (4) academic year extramural research experiences at the nearby research-intensive universities, and extramural summer research intemships; (5) workshops on graduate school survival skills and career explorations; (6) attendance and presentations at both the ABRCMS and the national scientific society meetings; and (7) a formal course in GRE preparation. A total of 10 trainees are requested for each year of the five-year award. The success of the program will be measured both quantitatively and qualitatively. Quantitatively, an extensive database of information on academic performance, research productivity, GRE performance, graduate school applications, matriculation into Ph.D. programs, and career paths will be collected and maintained for all students from the time of acceptance into the program to their subsequent professional career. Qualitative measures of program effectiveness will be obtained by detailed annual questionnaires administered to the trainees, the faculty and research mentors, and the Steering and Advisory committees, as well as through periodic interviews by the external evaluator.