Winston-Salem State University Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RI

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) seeks to establish an MBRS-Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE) program to improve the training of underrepresented minorities who graduate from biomedical/behavioral science departments and motivate them to pursue post-baccalaureate degrees. Our measureable objective is to increase the number and percentage of underrepresented minority students from participating departments that gain admission into competitive PhD programs in the area of biomedical and behavioral sciences to 10% (25 of 264 students) within four years compared to the current level of 4% (10 of 264 students). We propose to use a simple five-activity training program to achieve this objective: 1) introduce the students to biomedical research via hands-on participation in a research project; 2) introduce the students to critical scientific evaluation by critiquing and presenting journal club papers; 3) provide students with experience in scientific writing and speaking via poster presentations of their research results; 4) provide students with exposure to research faculty to facilitate both participant retention and successful completion of the RISE program; and 5) foster students' long-term commitment to pursue a career in the biomedical and behavioral sciences through an experience that exemplifies the excitement and challenges of relevant scientific investigation. Our cohort will include 18 MBRS-RISE trainees; 6 students each will be selected initially from among entering freshmen, rising sophomores and rising juniors up to a total of 18 students; program vacancies will be filled with a preference for freshmen and sophomores. This application will focus on academic mentoring and training of students in the broad disciplines of biomedical/behavioral science, with a particular emphasis on the relationships among research-intensive universities with various pre-doctoral T32 programs. The training program will have 13 mentors who have primary academic appointments in four departments in two institutions and will draw trainees from three participating departments (life sciences, chemistry, and behavioral sciences and social work) in the College of Arts and Sciences at WSSU. This program will also benefit from the ongoing collaboration of several established investigators at WSSU and Wake Forest University School of Medicine, the majority of whom have been assembled in a shared basic science building in the downtown Piedmont Triad Research Park. The combination of facilities, faculty, and other resources will provide a rich and vibrant interdisciplinary training environment for undergraduate students interested in the areas of biomedical/behavioral sciences and chronic disease research. This program's approach will increase the number of students gaining admission into competitive PhD programs by 6%, meaning that we anticipate 80% (15 of 18) of the MBRS-RISE students will enter PhD programs. We are confident in our ability to achieve this outcome. We also expect that this program's activities will serve as a model for other students to be introduced to biomedical or behavioral science disciplines as career choices. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) MBRS-Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE) program seeks to a) stimulate interest among underrepresented students in pursuing a research-based terminal degree in biomedical or behavioral research and b) increase the number of African-Americans and other minorities who hold leadership positions in the scientific research enterprise.