Sacramento College Coalition for Future Scientists

说明(由申请者提供)：该项目是“通向文凭的桥梁”项目的延续，该项目将加州州立大学、萨克拉门托(萨克拉门托州立大学)及其三所主要支线社区学院(美国河流学院、科苏姆内斯河学院和萨克拉门托城市学院)组成一个机构间伙伴关系，命名为“萨克拉门托学院未来科学家联盟”。该项目的长期目标是帮助满足国家需要，即增加训练有素的少数民族科学家从事生物医学研究的数量，以提高国家预防疾病和缩小健康差距的能力。具体地说，该项目旨在增加从合作社区学院转到四年制大学攻读与生物医学相关的专业、完成这些领域的学士学位并进入生物医学研究生学习和研究职业的代表不足少数群体(URM)学生的数量。 该项目旨在通过为合作社区大学招收的有前途的少数族裔学生提供发展活动、学术支持和指导，为参与者提供早期接触科学研究和生物医学科学职业的机会，并促进向加州州立大学、萨克拉门托或其他四年制大学相关学士专业的无缝过渡，从而实现这些目标。该项目采用的方法侧重于在两年的时间里让22-25名学生参加一套明确的共同活动。一年级学员的活动包括每周一次的学习大厅，秋季的每月充实研讨会，春季的3个学期单元的“新生研讨会”课程，以及在萨克拉门托州立大学为期3周的“科学研究导论”暑期项目。二年级学员的活动包括秋季每周一次的系列研讨会、春季“杂志俱乐部”、参加科学研究会议和在萨克拉门托州立大学进行为期8周的夏季研究体验。此外，所有学生将接受萨克拉门托州立大学教员的学术指导，并将在成功完成学生学术计划中的低级课程后被萨克拉门托州立大学录取。 国会在2000年《少数民族健康和健康差距研究和教育法》(公法106-525)中的调查结果报告说，“尽管美国的整体健康状况有了显著的进步，但与美国整体人口相比，非裔美国人、西班牙裔美国人、印第安人、阿拉斯加原住民和亚太岛民的疾病和死亡负担仍然存在差异”，“人口趋势引发了人们对国家是否有能力满足其未来科学、技术和工程劳动力需求的担忧。该项目将通过增加来自代表性不足的少数群体中追求生物医学科学家职业生涯的学生的数量来帮助解决这些担忧。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This project is a renewal of a "Bridges to the Baccalaureate" project, which unites California State University, Sacramento (Sacramento State) and three of its primary feeder community colleges (American River College, Cosumnes River College and Sacramento City College) in an inter- institutional partnership, named "The Sacramento College Coalition for Future Scientists". The long- range goal of the project is to contribute to meeting the national need to increase the number of well- trained minority scientists engaged in biomedical research that will improve the Nation's capability to prevent disease and reduce health disparities. Specifically, this project aims to increase the number of underrepresented minority (URM) students who transfer from the partnering community colleges to four-year universities to pursue majors related to the biomedical sciences, complete baccalaureate degrees in these fields and advance to graduate study and research careers in the biomedical sciences. The project aims to accomplish these goals by providing developmental activities, academic support and mentoring for promising underrepresented minority students enrolled at partner community colleges, providing participants early exposure to science research and careers in the biomedical sciences, and facilitating a seamless transition to relevant baccalaureate majors at California State University, Sacramento or other four-year universities. The method employed by the project focuses on engaging cohorts of 22-25 students in a well-defined set of common activities over a two-year period. Activities for first-year participants include weekly study halls, monthly enrichment workshops in the Fall, a 3 semester unit "Freshman Seminar" course in the Spring, and a 3-week "Introduction to Science Research" summer program at Sacramento State. Activities for second-year participants include a weekly workshop series in the Fall, a Spring "Journal Club", participation in scientific research conferences, and an 8-week summer research experience at Sacramento State. In addition, all students will receive academic advising by a Sacramento State faculty member and will be guaranteed admission to Sacramento State upon successful completion of lower division courses included in student academic plans. Congressional findings in the Minority Health and Health Disparities Research and Education Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-525) reported that "despite notable progress in the overall health of the Nation, there are continuing disparities in the burden of illness and death experienced by African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and Asian Pacific Islanders, compared to the United States population as a whole", and that "demographic trends inspire concern about the Nation's ability to meet its future scientific, technological, and engineering workforce needs. This project will contribute to addressing these concerns by increasing the number of students from underrepresented minority groups who pursue careers as biomedical scientists.