MARC U*STAR Honors Program

描述（由申请人提供）：哥伦比亚特区大学（UDC）提议为有兴趣进入生物医学和行为科学职业的生物学，化学和心理学学生建立MARC U*STAR荣誉项目。新项目提供的支持将使学生获得学术知识，研究技能和信心，以成功地追求更高的学位。该计划的目标是促进旨在增加从事生物医学和行为科学研究的少数民族学生数量的倡议、战略和活动。UDC/MARC项目的目标是：(1)招募25名GPA不低于3:00的少数族裔学生，选择或继续攻读生物医学或行为科学专业，并为他们提供结构化的高级学术课程，使他们的GRE成绩在定性、验证和学科领域的综合成绩上至少提高到1500分，并保持平均成绩3.50分。(2)通过提供特殊的导师制、培训技能讲习班、杰出讲座、专题研讨会和专题讨论会以及提供多层次的指导组成部分，提高学生的留校率和毕业率；(3)在UDC教师研究顾问或外部机构的研究导师的监督下，为每位MARC学生提供全年的研究经验。MARC计划将学生分为两类：STEM中心/Pre-MARC（大一和大二）和MARC（大三和大四）。STEM中心的名称被附加到Pre-MARC中，因为这些学生可能与NSF STEM研究和培训中心有联系，该中心为选定的学生提供夏季桥梁计划。STEM中心/Pre-MARC学生将从高中学生、UDC/大学预科项目和四所社区大学中招募，而MARC学生将从STEM中心/Pre-MARC池中选拔。UDC/MARC方案的两个重要组成部分将包括：开设生物学、化学和心理学的新课程和加强若干现有课程；以及全年独立指导的学生研究的实施。该计划将使学生参与系统的学习方法，创造并使学生能够在每个级别的更专业的学术培训中成功过渡

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.