RISE Option II:NIGMS-Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE) Program at ASU

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Summary Alabama State University (ASU) is renewing its NIGMS-RISE program. The major objective of the program is to increase the number of underrepresented minority students (URM) enrolling in PhD programs in biomedical sciences. This renewal is significant, since the NIGMS-RISE program is the only program at ASU that provides research training and PhD preparedness students in the MS program in biology with the highest potential of entering PhD programs. With this rationale, our NIGMS-RISE program provides rigorous graduate curricula emphasizing analytical and critical thinking, problem solving, mathematical skills, intense research training, scientific writing and skills building through technical workshops and other extracurricular activities. All RISE students are required to participate in summer research working with a research mentor at participating research-intensive institutions. A team of 16 committed faculty mentors at ASU provides research training to RISE students leading into a MS thesis. The research training is complemented with mentoring by 15 external collaborators resulting in transition of ASU MS graduates into PhD programs at research-intensive institutions. The second cycle will support five (5) MS students at ASU each year for a maximum support of two years. The two specific aims with measureable objectives are: Specific Aim #1: Enhance PhD preparedness of RISE participants through curricular and extracurricular activities. Objectives are: 1) All RISE participants will participate in all RISE curricular and professional activities, 2) All RISE participants will improve their GPA by 15%, 3) 100% of RISE participants will show improvement in their writing skills, and 4) 100% participants will improve on their GRE scores by 10%. Specific Aim #2: Provide rigorous research training to RISE students to complete the MS degree and ensure their acceptance into PhD programs in biomedical sciences. Objectives are: 1) 100% of participants will complete the MS degree within two years, 2) 100% of RISE participants will participate in summer research at an external collaborator institution and all RISE sponsored curricular and professional activities, 3) Over 80% of participants (4 out of 5) will be accepted in PhD programs in the biomedical sciences by the end of year 2 of the MS program, and 4) 100% of participants will author one peer-reviewed publication. We anticipate that through the NIGMS-RISE program, 12 African-American students will transition to PhD programs in biomedical sciences.