Phase II of BUILDing SCHOLARS - Research Enrichment Core

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This component of the grant, requested by the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), will focus efforts to support the Research Enrichment Core (REC) of BUILDing SCHOLARS Phase II. The goal of the REC is to broaden participation in biomedical research careers by involving students in transformative undergraduate research experiences, engaging students and faculty in impactful mentoring and professional development, and providing professional development opportunities to faculty so they may enrich the research opportunities available to students. The REC specific aims are as follows: (1) continue to engage Pipeline Partner undergraduates in intensive research experiences and broaden the impact of the program to area high school teachers and Pipeline Partner faculty by including them in research experiences; (2) increase the research productivity of UTEP faculty by restructuring faculty research-incentive programs; (3) enhance BUILD trainee professional development and social support systems by refining the Research and Teaching Integration (RTI) and Peer Mentoring programs; and (4) disseminate program findings associated with the impact that mentoring, undergraduate research, and the Research and Teaching Integration programs have on the success and trajectory of participating students and faculty in the biomedical sciences. The first aim will be achieved by engaging undergraduate students from regional 2-or 4-year PP institutions in intensive research experiences through the Summer Research Program (SRP) at UTEP. The first aim also expands the summer research experiences at UTEP to include high school STEM teachers and 2-or 4-year pipeline partner faculty, through the Research Experiences for Lecturers and Teachers (RELaTe) program. The second aim will be achieved by establishing and institutionalizing the BUILD ADVANCE grant-writing program that allows release time for five UTEP faculty members every year to support the development of competitive NIH grant proposals. The third aim will be achieved by refining the Peer Mentoring program and the Research and Teaching Integration (RTI) program by enhancing the successful components of these programs developed in Phase I of BUILD. The fourth aim will be achieved by disseminating the program’s outcomes and other research findings through internal communication tools, annual partners meetings, publications, conference presentations, and a BUILDing SCHOLARS conference at UTEP in Fall 2019. These activities are innovative because they will not only improve the quality of mentored research experiences for undergraduate students and opportunities for development of BUILD affiliated faculty, but also broaden the opportunity to other regional participants. In terms of significance, the REC will address the diversity challenge at the societal, regional (US Southwest) and institutional levels by continuing to implement programs that target the undergraduate populations of Southwest Texas, Arizona and New Mexico. Ultimately, through these varied initiatives, the REC will enrich the research capacity and diversity of the biomedical workforce and address regional health disparities.