Biomedical Research Training for Minority Honor Students

描述（由申请人提供）：布鲁克林学院MARC U* 星星计划服务于一个大型和多样化的机构，学生主要由少数民族和妇女组成。我们的计划目标是大幅提高国家认可的学生代表性不足的群体的兴趣，并成功地为他们进入生物医学博士课程做好准备。因此，我们提高了我们的学术支持和培训计划的有效性，目前有13个博士课程的公元前MARC校友，我们的博士入学率在过去5年中有两个超过50%。我们的评估确定了这一记录改进的4个障碍：掌握“守门人”科学课程的学术技能不足;缺乏研究经验和一致的研究和职业指导;缺乏学生对科学研究职业的熟悉，导致研究动机只是为了加强医学预科的职业道路;以及缺乏对研究生院需要什么、如何申请、获得支持和完成学位的认识。为了应对这些挑战，我们提出了两个雄心勃勃的计划，以改善和扩大我们目前成功的MARC和RISE活动。为期两年的MARC研究介绍计划将涉及100名或更多对科学感兴趣的新生，并开始他们精心策划的“研究阶梯”。“参与的学生将在每一门把关课程中获得密集的同侪辅助学习学术支持。还将有一系列讨论当代生物医学研究和研究职业选择的研讨会课程。坚持的学生将进入期刊俱乐部般的研讨会，在我们的研究技术设施培训，和小组研究项目。入门课程的完成将使学生有资格申请接受在MARC高级研究计划作为研究员或助理。这些高级研究生将在生物医学研究人员的实验室，学术支持，夏季研究实习以及口头和书面研究报告和负责任的研究行为的研讨会课程中获得2年的密集研究经验。这些活动将增加在布鲁克林学院有本科研究经验的生物医学博士的数量。我们的目标是将布鲁克林本科生的博士入学率从国家认可的代表性不足的群体中提高至少90%，从目前的每年5-6人提高到每年10人。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Brooklyn College MARC U*STAR program has served a large and diverse institution with a student body primarily composed of minorities and women. Our program goals are to substantially increase interest of nationally recognized under-represented groups of students and to successfully prepare them for entry into PhD programs in biomedical sciences. Accordingly, we have increased the efficacy of our academic support and training programs to the point that there are currently 13 BC MARC alumni in PhD programs, and our PhD entry rate has exceeded 50% in two of the last 5 years. Our evaluations identify 4 barriers to improvements in this record: Inadequate academic skills for mastering the "gate-keeper" science courses; lack of research experience and consistent research and career mentoring; lack of student familiarity with scientific research careers, leading to research motivation only to bolster a pre-med career path; and lack of awareness of what graduate school entails, how to apply, get support, and complete degrees. To meet these challenges, we propose two ambitious programs to improve and expand on our current successful MARC and RISE activities. The 2-year MARC Research Introduction Program will involve 100 or more incoming students with interest in science, and begin them on a carefully planned "research ladder." Participating students will have intensive Peer-Assisted Learning-based academic support for each of the gatekeeper courses. There will be also a series of seminar courses discussing contemporary biomedical research and research career options. Persisting students will move into journal-club-like seminars, training in our research techniques facility, and group research projects. Completion of the Introductory Program will qualify students to apply for acceptance in the MARC Advanced Research Program as Fellows or Associates. These advanced research students will have a 2-year intensive research experience in the lab of a biomedical researcher, academic support, summer research externships, and seminar courses in oral and written presentation of research and responsible conduct of research. These activities will increase the number of biomedical PhDs who have undergraduate research experience at Brooklyn College. Our objectives are to increase PhD entry rate of Brooklyn undergraduates from nationally recognized under-represented groups by at least 90% from its current level of 5-6 per year to 10 per year.