MARC Undergraduate Training in Academic Research

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 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The purpose of this application is to obtain continued funding for five years to support research training of 40 trainees per year in the MARC U*STAR Program at UMBC. The aim is to maximize the access to research careers for students from groups underrepresented in biomedical research. The MARC U*STAR Program consists of a carefully designed combination of activities to assure: (i) excellence in academic science, (ii) understanding and adapting to the intensity and rigor of contemporary scientific research, (iii) student interest in pursuing a PhD degree and a career as a researcher in the biomedical, behavioral, and mathematical sciences, and (iv) ongoing counseling of students in strategies of learning and time management, as well as career choices, selection of graduate school, and developing successful admission applications. The program will also provide comprehensive financial support to ensure that trainees can focus on preparing for a smooth and successful transition from UMBC to competitive graduate programs at highly ranked institutions. Students with relevant majors will be recruited from UMBC and community colleges during their second sophomore semester, and successful applicants will be appointed to the program at the beginning of the following summer. The Program begins with a summer research internship and continues in the junior and senior academic years with academically challenging courses plus 8-10 hours per week in research with a faculty mentor at UMBC or a nearby institution. Trainees must also enroll in required development courses (i.e., scientific writing, and research ethics and policy), designed specifically for MARC trainees. In the summer between the junior and senior year the students will do a second summer research internship. At least one of the summer research internships must be at an institution other than UMBC. Trainees will also meet with successful faculty from competitive institutions with top-level graduate programs. Admission eligibility will require a 3.2 cumulative GPA, a minimum of 60 college-credits, and commitment to a research career in biomedical, behavioral, or mathematics research. Trainees must comply with program requirements to remain in the program. Program design and participant selection will be guided by the MARC Steering Committee and administered by the MARC Program Director (who has trained more than 100 undergraduate students in his lab) with the assistance of the full-time MARC Assistant Director. The efficacy of the program will be monitored regularly by analysis of performance and student and alumni surveys.