The MORE Division of NIGMS plays a vital role in the effort to increase minority representation in biomedical research. The basic premise of MORE programs is that when """"""""students are provided the opportunity to engage in state-of-the-art biomedical research, with appropriate facilities, support and mentorship, their appetites will be whetted to enter a career in biomedical research"""""""". This proposal is designed to test that premise using data from over 900 minority participants in the Biology Undergraduate Scholars Program (BUSP) at the University of California, Davis. The study will use statistical methods to examine the quantitative relationships between research experience, undergraduate achievement and enrollment in academic science graduate programs. Personal surveys of current students and alumni will delve into the characteristics of research experiences that encourage students to pursue graduate research or have lasting value for other career paths. To optimize BUSP intervention strategies, surveys of students and faculty will seek to determine whether a Basic Laboratory Skills Course enhances research and course laboratory performance and promotes student interest in research careers. Statistical studies of student performance will also indicate whether BUSP interventions close the performance gap between under-represented minority students and the white/Asian majority, alters the achievement gap between men and women and/or reduces the over- prediction problem for minority students in biology at UC Davis.
| Villarejo, Merna; Barlow, Amy E L; Kogan, Deborah et al. (2008) Encouraging minority undergraduates to choose science careers: career paths survey results. CBE Life Sci Educ 7:394-409 |
