Texas A&M University System Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (TAMUS LSAMP) Bridge to the Doctorate (BTD) Cohort IX (2013-2015) Program

拟议的Cohort XI德克萨斯农工大学系统路易斯·斯托克斯少数民族参与联盟(TAMUS LSAMP)博士学位(BTD)计划的主要目的是增加TAMU未被充分代表的少数族裔(URM)群体中的科学、技术、工程或数学(STEM)博士库，并在大学内创建一个跨不同学科的研究生群体。我们的目标是培养一批首次毕业的URM STEM研究生，通过培养他们的准备，鼓励他们渴望完成STEM博士学位，并为他们在跨学科研究和学术界的领导地位做好准备，从而促进他们在学术上的成功。因此，实施该计划的目标包括(1)在完成NSF BTD计划后保留研究员并获得资助，(2)准备迎接完成博士学习计划和在高等教育中可能的学术生涯的挑战，以及(3)在完成博士学习后作为年轻的URM专业人员取得成功所必需的领导技能发展。这将通过科学学院(COS)、工程学院(COE)、农业与生命科学学院(COALS)和德克萨斯A&AMM大学地球科学学院(COG)之间的合作实现。来自代表不足的少数民族(URM)群体的12名首次研究生将被选为BTD研究员，他们分别来自COS的5个部门、COE的12个部门、COE的14个部门和COG的5个部门。这些研究员将接受为期两年的培养，作为一个受益于学术和个人发展活动以及社会支持计划的队列社区，以保持他们对学位计划的承诺和成功，并在第二年结束时向博士课程迈进。具有不同STEM学科和共同目标的BTD学生将彼此共享协调的资源和丰富智力的小组活动，并将与TAMU更多的STEM、少数民族和其他研究生共享资源，使所有人受益。除了BTD的智力影响外，该项目还将通过推进研究生和博士STEM学位的追求来加强研究和教育的基础设施。

The primary aim of the proposed Cohort XI Texas A&M University System Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (TAMUS LSAMP) Bridge to the Doctorate (BTD) program is to increase the pool of science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) PhDs among underrepresented minority (URM) groups at TAMU and to create a cohesive community of graduate students across different disciplines within the university. Our goal is to foster academic success in a cohort of first-time URM STEM graduate students, by developing their readiness and encouraging eagerness to complete STEM doctoral degrees and by preparing them to take their places as leaders in interdisciplinary research and in academia. As such, objectives to carry out the program's goals include (1) retention of fellows into doctoral programs with funding after completion of the NSF BTD program, (2) preparation to meet the challenges of completing doctoral programs of study and for possible academic careers in higher education, and (3) leadership skill development necessary to succeed as young URM professionals upon completion of doctoral programs of study.This will be achieved through collaborations among the College of Science (COS), College of Engineering (COE), the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (COALS), and the College of Geosciences (COG) at Texas A&M University (TAMU). Twelve first-time graduate students from underrepresented minority (URM) groups, in five departments in the COS, 12 in COE, 14 in COALS, and 5 in COG will be selected as BTD fellows. The Fellows will be nurtured for two years as a cohorted community benefiting from a program of academic and personal development activities and social support, to sustain their commitment and success to their degree programs and advancement toward doctoral programs by the end of their second year. The BTD students, with differing STEM disciplines and a common purpose, will share coordinated resources and intellectually enriching group activities with each other, and also with the larger population of STEM, minority and other graduate students at TAMU, to the benefit of all.Beyond the intellectual impact of BTD, the program will enhance the infrastructure of research and education by advancing pursuit of graduate and doctoral STEM degrees.