PREP @ UC Berkeley

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PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT California is the most populous state in the nation but, in contrast to the racial and ethnic diversity of the Californian population, the research workforce in the biological science is relatively homogeneous. One of the reasons lies in the limited number of underrepresented minority (URM) students who enter PhD programs. To address this issue, a Post-Baccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) will be developed at UC Berkeley to provide URM and disabled students, who want to pursue a career in biomedical research, with the intensive research experience and academic enrichment necessary to prepare them successfully for graduate school application and their subsequent careers in academia. The goals of this application are three-fold: (1) P rovide exceptional research opportunities to underrepresented recent college graduates; (2) Establish strong mentoring relationships and community building through a mentoring system providing the trainees with the support network they need to flourish in the program and beyond; and (3) Provide state of the art professional development tools and coaching to support scholars’ development and optimally prepare them to succeed in a biomedical research career. Annual support is sought for 6 “post-bac” students who will be placed in productive research laboratories which are actively funded by federal grants. Throughout the year long program, scholars will participate in enrichment activities including: writing personal statements for graduate applications; mock interviews; assistance in completing graduate applications; GRE Preparation; travel to scientific meetings; and improvement of communication skills. To achieve the success of this program, the Program Directors Prof. Gian Garriga, Associate Dean of Equity and Inclusion in the Biological Sciences, and Dr. Schaletzky, Executive Director of the Center of Emerging and Neglected Diseases (CEND) at UC Berkeley have recruited 38 faculty members to provide, not only intensive laboratory research training, but also relevant professional development guidance. An asset for the program, CEND is known within UC Berkeley for excellence in administration and a commitment to enhancing participation of underrepresented groups in STEM. CEND will bring excellent management and leadership and individual mentoring to the program and also provide a comprehensive career development program, involving individual development plans supported by a variety of career development workshops tailored to participating scholars. We are confident that scholars graduating from this program will be in an excellent position to successfully compete for graduate schools, contributing to equal representation of all groups in STEM and strengthening the innovation capacity of the scientific community in a sustainable fashion.