U-RISE at Cal State Fullerton

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Project Summary/Abstract The U-RISE program at Cal State Fullerton proposes to support 10 undergraduate students every year who come from underrepresented or disadvantaged backgrounds. Majoring in a STEM field, the program will prepare the U-RISE scholars for graduate school and a career in biomedical science. The specific goals are to: 1) recruit, select, and retain a diverse group of well-qualified undergraduates; 2) provide scholars with hands-on research experience and develop their research skills; 3) mentor and educate the scholars on the importance of responsible conduct of research and scientific rigor; 4) cultivate the scholars’ academic and communication skills; 5) prepare, help, and advise the scholars on their application to summer research programs and PhD or MD- PhD programs; and 6) build a strong mentoring community by recruiting and training a diverse and committed group of mentors. These goals will be achieved as the scholars participate in cutting-edge research with a faculty mentor for two years, culminating with a presentation and defense of a written thesis. Upon admission to the program, the scholars will participate in a summer workshop to teach them about the responsible conduct of research and scientific rigor and reproducibility. The scholars are expected to excel in several academically challenging courses, including one semester of scientific writing, one semester of scientific communication, and two semesters of senior thesis courses. The scholars will also take four semesters of a pro-seminar course, which focuses on research career and presentation skills development. To measure our short-term progress, we will use specially developed assessment tools, forms, and e-journal entries previously used by the CSUF MARC program. The scholars and mentors will complete assessment forms administered by an external evaluator at the end of each semester on a yearly basis. All U-RISE scholars will be expected to improve or achieve one level higher (on a scale of 1-5) in laboratory performance, research skills, and communication skills. By the end of their two-year participation, the scholars would have shown improvement or high achievement in at least 75% of the measurable objectives. Over the funding period, we aim to place at least 75% of all U-RISE scholars in high-quality doctoral programs. Finally, the U-RISE program will track all graduates by e-mail or phone as they progress towards their advanced degrees and beyond, and will disseminate its accomplishments through an official website, conferences, and publications. Overall, program success will be measured by scholar enrollment and retention in doctoral programs at various US institutions in the short term, and by their eventual entry into biomedical research-related careers in the long term. The U-RISE program will not only contribute to the success of the scholars in their research careers but will have a broader impact on the participating departments, colleges, and the institution as a whole through improved student success, curricular enhancement, and strengthening of the undergraduate research environment.