MARC U*STAR Honors Program

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The University of the District of Columbia (UDC) proposes to establish a MARC U*STAR Honors Program for biology, chemistry, and psychology students who have an interest in entering biomedical and behavioral science careers. The new Program provides support that that will allow the student to gain academic knowledge, research skills and confidence to successfully pursue more advanced degrees. The goal of the Program is to promote initiatives, strategies, and activities designed to increase the number of minority students pursuing careers in biomedical and behavioral science research. The objectives of the UDC/MARC Program are (1) to recruit 25 underrepresented minority students with at least a 3:00 GPA to select or continue in a biomedical or behavioral science major and to provide them with a structured-advanced academic program that will allow them to improve their GRE scores to at least 1500 on the combined qualitative, veriDal and subject area sections and maintain an academic average of 3.50. (2) to increase retention and graduation rates of students by providing a special tutorial system, training-skills workshops, distinguished lectures, and special seminars and symposia and by providing a multi-tiered mentoring component; and (3) to provide a year-round research experience for each MARC student under the supervision of a UDC faculty research advisor or research mentor from an external agency. The MARC Program will divide students into two categories: STEM Center/Pre-MARC (freshmen and sophomores) and MARC (juniors and seniors). The designation STEM Center was appended to Pre-MARC because of the putative affiliation of these students with the NSF STEM Research and Training Center, which funds a Summer Bridge Program for selected students. STEM Center/Pre-MARC students will be recruited from senior high school students, UDC/pre-college programs, and four community colleges, while MARC students will be selected from the STEM Center/Pre-MARC pool. Two significant components of the UDC/MARC Program will include: the initiation of new courses in biology, chemistry and psychology and enhancement of several pre-existing courses; and the implementation of year-round independent-directed student-research. This Program will engage students in systematic approaches to learning and create and enable students to negotiate a successful transition at each level of more specialized academic training RELEVANCE: The University of the District of Columbia (UDC) proposes to establish a MARC U*STAR Honors Program to address the need to increase the number of minority biomedical and behavioral scientists. The goal of the Program is to promote initiatives, strategies, and activities designed to increase the number of minority students pursuing careers in biomedical and behavioral science research.