MARC at University of Maryland, College Park

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The MARC at Maryland is a three-year bioengineering undergraduate research training program that will break down research barriers for students traditionally underrepresented in STEM by exposing them to research opportunities and their benefits, facilitating positive interactions with research faculty, and enhancing financial literacy. The number of underrepresented graduate trainees in biomedical sciences, particularly bioengineering, still fall well below what would be representative of the current US population. The three key objectives of this MARC program are to 1) increase the number of students from groups underrepresented in STEM that pursue biomedical, research-focused higher degree programs (Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D.), 2) support trainees in overcoming barriers to entering research and preparing them for research careers, and 3) develop faculty mentors who will enhance research pool diversity throughout their careers by training them in best practices in mentoring diverse researchers. Our MARC program seeks to complete these objectives by integrating research training, mentor training, peer mentoring, and financial literacy all while building a community for trainees that will provide them with support in their biomedical research careers. MARC trainees will rotate through two mentor labs during their first semester in the program and will be matched to work in mentor labs for the remaining 5 semesters until graduation. MARC faculty and graduate mentors working with MARC trainees will be fully trained through the “Entering Mentoring” and “Culturally Aware Mentoring” programs developed through rigorous peer-reviewed methods by the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER), to ensure an inclusive environment. Our program also includes a one-credit course that integrates best practices in active- learning-based teaching and will feature a “flipped” style of research training consisting of a comprehensive set of research training workshops/lectures followed by in-class activities on classic topics including research training (e.g. rigor, making figures, scientific communication) and career development (e.g. guidance on fellowship/internship/graduate school applications). In addition, we aim to build a community for students through semi-formalized peer mentoring, weekly activities such as Lunch and Learn and study halls, and annual program retreats. Uniquely, we have partnered with Moore Wealth to integrate a 5-pillar financial literacy program into our 1-credit class. This is particularly important, as Black or African American students graduate college with on average $4000 more debt than white students and underrepresented students often face additional financial pressures. Moore Wealth’s financial literacy program is developed by and for students of color and includes topics such as credits and loans, investing, and navigating career transitions from the financial perspective. Altogether, we propose a comprehensive program that provides support to trainees from underrepresented groups in research training and beyond with the main aim to increase representation in bioengineering at the graduate level.