MARC U-STAR at CSUN: Preparing Scientists Holistically

描述(申请人提供)：我们国家的未来需要科学专业知识来维持我们目前的全球经济和创新地位。要做到这一点，这个国家需要培养和培训能够解决我们面临的问题的人，这些问题包括新出现的疾病，影响人类健康的基本过程，包括营养、水安全、植物生产力、正常细胞过程和心理健康。然而，并不是所有的人口部门都有机会充分参与科学研究。在参与科学(包括基础生物医学科学)、技术、工程和数学(STEM)方面，属于某些族裔的美国公民和永久居住者的代表性尤其不足，经济/社会弱势群体和残疾人也是如此。我们寻求继续加州州立大学北岭分校(CSUN)的最大限度地获得研究职业本科科学培训和研究(MARC U-STAR)计划。CSUN在MARC HUT和MARC U*STAR项目方面都拥有丰富的经验，并成功地为许多学生准备了进入竞争激烈的博士项目的准备。我们的目标是增加他们对基础生物医学研究事业的参与。我们建议通过增加化学、生物、数学、心理学、人体工学、物理、健康科学以及职业和环境健康方面的高水平本科生来实现这一目标。为了增加优秀学生的数量，我们建议为科学和数学学院建立一个新的暑期分子生物学研究训练营，以继续和加强几个层面的干预，包括暑期数学和语言艺术月工作坊、科学100、外展和咨询。其中一些成绩优异的学生将被选中参加U-STAR计划的初中-高级部分，并将接受进一步的特殊培训，最终为他们进入研究生院做好准备，并最终获得博士或医学博士学位。我们预计，这些努力将在五年内使有资格申请MARC U-STAR的初级-高级部分的学生总数增加10%。我们将向在CSUN注册的学生以及在当地社区学院注册的学生征集初中-高级部分的申请。历史上代表性不足的学生是非洲裔美国人、奇卡诺人和其他拉美人、美洲原住民、太平洋岛民、菲律宾人和东南亚人。CSUN也有大量的残疾学生和符合佩尔标准的学生。学员将由MARC U-STAR咨询委员会从这个池中挑选出来，该委员会将由管理人员、MARC U-STAR导师和两名MARC U-STAR学员组成。这一部分的目标是将80%完成该项目的学生安排在博士或医学博士/博士项目中。在2000年由CSUN首次资助的MARC U*STAR项目的历史上，学生在博士或医学博士/博士项目中的持久率为85%。预计这一比例将提高到95%。增加CSUN优秀本科生的数量。我们建议建立一个新的研究训练营，继续并加强几个级别的干预、外展和咨询。B.初级/高级部分的受训人员我们将在五年内每年任命24名受训人员。学员将按照以下标准选择：1)最低GPA为3.00。2)大三或毕业两年，3)生物医学相关专业，4)有兴趣攻读生物医学科学的高级学位，5)有兴趣参与研究项目，6)愿意参加MARC U-STAR计划活动。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The future of our nation requires scientific expertise to maintain our current global economic and innovation status. To do this requires that this nation develops and trains the people who can solve problems that we are confronting including new and emergent disease, fundamental process that affect human health including nutrition, water safety, plant productivity, normal cellular processes, and mental health. However, not all sectors of the population have access to opportunities that allow them to become fully engaged in the sciences. U.S. citizens and permanent residence belonging to certain ethnic groups are particularly underrepresented in their participation in science (including basic biomedical sciences), technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) as are economically/socially disadvantaged and disabled people. We seek to continue the Maximizing Access to Research Careers Undergraduate Science Training and Research (MARC U-STAR) program at California State University, Northridge (CSUN). CSUN had extensive experience with both the MARC HURT and the MARC U*STAR programs and has successfully prepared many students for acceptance into competitive PhD programs. Our goal is to increase their participation in basic biomedical research careers. We proposed to accomplish this by increasing the pool of high-achieving undergraduates in chemistry, biology, mathematics, psychology, kinesiology, physics, health sciences, and occupational and environmental health. To increase the pool of high-achieving students, we propose develop a new summer Molecular Biology Research Boot Camp for the College of Science and Mathematics, to continue and enhance several levels of intervention, including Summer Math and Language Arts for month workshop, Science 100, outreach and advisement. Some of these high-achieving students will be selected to participate in the Junior-Senior component of the U-STAR program and will receive further special training that will ultimately prepare them for graduate school and lead to the Ph.D. or MD/Ph.D. We expect that these efforts will increase by 10% over the five year period the total number of students who are eligible to apply for the Junior-Senior component of MARC U-STAR. We shall solicit applications for the Junior-Senior component from students enrolled at CSUN as well as from students enrolled in the local community colleges. Historically under represented students are Afro-Americans, Chicanos and other Latinos, Native Americans, Pacific Islanders, Filipinos and Southeast Asians. CSUN also has a large population of disabled and Pell-eligible students. Trainees will be selected from this pool by the MARC U-STAR Advisory Committee which will be composed of administrators, MARC U-STAR mentors and two MARC U-STAR trainees. The goal of this component is to place 80% of students who complete the program in Ph.D. or MD/Ph.D. programs. Over the history of the MARC U*STAR program which was first funded in 2000 at CSUN, student persistence in Ph.D. or MD/Ph.D. programs is 85%. It is anticipated that this will be improved to 95%. A. To increase the pool of high achieving undergraduates at CSUN. We propose develop a new Research Boot Camp, continue and enhance several levels of intervention, outreach and advisement. B. Trainees for the Junior/Senior Component We will appoint 24 trainees in each of five years. Trainees will be selected using the following criteria: 1) Minimum GPA of 3.00. 2) Junior standing or two years from graduation, 3) A major in a biomedically related field, 4) Interest in pursuing an advanced degree in the biomedical sciences, 5) Interest in being involved in a research project, 6) Willingness to participate in MARC U-STAR Program activities.