Elizabeth City State University Minority Access to Research Careers (E-MARC) Unde

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A historically black institution, Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) is located in one of the most impoverished regions of North Carolina that is home to 80% of its students. An institutional self-study identified four major challenges that militate against the production of graduates that are competitive for acceptance into PhD programs. These challenges are (i) lack of academic role models for first-generation college freshman, (ii) achievement gaps in academics between underrepresented minority and majority students, (iii) low advanced majors in the STEM disciplines and (iv) low acceptance rates into PhD Programs. The proposed ECSU Minority Access to Research Careers Undergraduate Students Academic and Research Training (E-MARC) is designed to equip the institution with an ability to mitigate these challenges through academic enhancement on campus and biomedical/behavioral research training at external research-intensive institutions around the country. E-MARC participants are majors in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Engineering Technology, Psychology and Sociology with minimum GPA of 3.50 and unequivocal commitment to pursuing PhDs. Expected outcome: In the 5 years of the grant period, 20 EMARC former alumni and about 10 non-MARC supported alumni will have entered PhD programs. Thus, the program will result in increasing the number of alumni entering PhD programs from a 5-year baseline of 7 to over 30 in 5 years.