MARC at UVI: Developing a Researcher Identity

描述（由申请人提供）：维尔京群岛大学的MARC计划为独特的少数民族人口提供服务，建议通过将学生培养为生物医学研究人员来促进国家的健康。为了实现这一目标，UVI将在以往成功的基础上再接再发展。在上一个资助周期中，66%的UVI MARC毕业生参加了博士课程。该提案的总体目标是75%的学生将在毕业后直接参加博士课程。UVI将通过涉及MARC学生，pre-MARC学生和所有对生物医学研究感兴趣的UVI本科生的综合方法来实现这一改进。可衡量的目标是，该计划将：(1)提供严格的课程，培养语言和定量技能；(2)通过校外暑期研究体验和学年体验，为学生提供研究培训机会；(3)为学生提供进入高选择性研究型大学的清晰的职业道路和成功的结构；(4)与包括T32资助项目在内的研究密集型机构建立牢固的合作伙伴关系；(5)为UVI的学生和教师建立专业网络；(6)增加学生对美属维尔京群岛和全国少数民族社区相关生物医学研究需求的理解。这些目标将通过多方面的计划来实现，包括：(1)教师教学技能的发展和新的MARC课程设计，旨在为学生准备研究培训经验和提高竞争力；(2)校外研究培训；(2)在会议上展示成果；(3)科学家访问，为学生提供生物医学研究研讨会，讲习班，以及与榜样互动和扩大专业网络的机会；(4)为清晰的职业道路提供步骤的特别研讨会；(5)由弗吉尼亚大学教师、同行和暑期研究导师组成的支持网络。新的外部评估者将进行严格的形成性和总结性评估，包括传统的评估方法和社会网络分析，旨在将学生的发展与对照组进行比较。总之，UVI MARC精心开发了一个项目，以改进其历史上成功的项目，该项目在过去10年里每年从2-3名MARC BS毕业生中培养出13名博士。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The MARC Program at the University of the Virgin Islands, which serves a unique minority population, proposes to contribute the health of the Nation by developing students as biomedical researchers. To accomplish this, UVI will build on its record of previous success. In the last funding cycle, 66% of UVI MARC graduates enrolled in doctoral programs. The overall goal of this proposal is that 75% will enroll in doctoral programs directly after graduation. UVI will achieve this improvement by a comprehensive approach involving MARC students, pre-MARC students, and all UVI undergraduates interested in biomedical research careers. The measurable objectives are that the program will: (1) provide a rigorous curriculum that develops both verbal and quantitative skills; (2) provide research training opportunities both through extramural summer research experiences and through academic year experiences designed to prepare students for these opportunities; (3) provide students with a clearly articulated career pathway to admission to highly selective research universities and a structure for success; (4) develop strong partnerships with research-intensive institutions, including T32 funded programs; (5) develop professional networks for UVI students and faculty; (6) increase the students' understanding of the biomedical research needs relevant to the U.S. Virgin Islands and minority communities nationally. These objectives will be accomplished by a multifaceted program including: (1) development of pedagogical skills of faculty and a new MARC curriculum designed to prepare students for research training experiences and increase competitiveness, (2) extramural research training, (2) presentations of results at conferences, (3) visits by scientists, providing students with biomedical research seminars, workshops, and opportunities to interact with role models and expand their professional networks, (4) special workshops designed to provide the steps in a clear career pathway, (5) a network of support by UVI faculty, peers, and summer research mentors. A new external evaluator will conduct rigorous formative and summative evaluation, including both traditional evaluation methods and social network analysis designed to compare students' development to a control group. In sum, UVI MARC has carefully developed a program to improve on its historically successful program, which produced 13 PhDs over the last 10 years from a pool of 2-3 MARC BS graduates a year.