We need to train more scientists from underrepresented ethnic groups at both the national and state levels. Attempts to achieve this goal have been hampered by the low participation in the sciences of these ethnic populations: at UCLA, in contrast to the ethnic diversity of its undergraduate population, few students from ethnic minorities complete majors (BA/BS) in Biology, Biochemistry, or Microbiology and Molecular Genetics. UCLA, because of the demographics of Southern California, has the potential to train a large number of young people from underrepresented groups in the biomedical sciences. We propose to increase the number of underrepresented students entering the biomedical sciences by (1) communicating exciting developments in the biomedical sciences to community college students through an outreach program; (2) providing counseling, tutoring, and workshops on the latest developments in biotechnology, computer- assisted instruction and use of computers in biomedical research; (3) providing mentors for promising students, and (4) promoting student participation in research by providing a hands-on learning experience. Workshops for community college students, seminars, and bridge programs to prepare students for the challenges of the university, will both stimulate student interest and ease the transition from 2-year to 4-year institutions. Internships will be offered to community college students in order to build motivation and interest for careers in the biomedical sciences and to train scholars from ethnic minorities through a combination of research activities and academic guidance by faculty mentors. Participating faculty have productive research programs and considerable physical resources. They have all successfully supervised graduate and undergraduate research students and are committed to this project and its goal to build a cadre of underrepresented students dedicated to future careers in the biomedical sciences. We will accomplish our goal through well-established linkages between UCLA and eight community colleges with significant populations of underrepresented students. The impact of this program on the scientific education and training of underrepresented students will be tremendous. ? ?
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