The Long Island University Brooklyn (LIU-B) MBRS RISE program is designed to complement existing efforts to enhance student academic achievement in gatekeeper courses in the STEM disciplines thus expanding the pool of qualified students motivated to pursue doctoral studies and research related careers in the biomedical sciences. Central to the activities aimed at enhancing academic performance is a peer based learning community pilot program that the institution will provide full support as a demonstration for its commitment. A very strong research-training program will be implemented that places undergraduate and Master's LIU-B students in the laboratories of funded and actively publishing LIU-B faculty in the departments of biology, Chemistry and biochemistry and the School of Pharmacy. In addition, 80 % of our proposed training faculty comes from area Research Intensive Institutions (Rutgers University/UMDNJ, Columbia University, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Stony Brook University, and New York University). The year-round research training environment, in addition to other support activities that include participation in courses and workshops designed to enhance scientific reading and writing, provide training in research laboratory techniques, critical thinking and test taking, and the responsible conduct of research, will provide the level of preparation for our MBRS RISE students to accomplish the stated program outcome of at least 60% of participating undergraduates and 80% of Master's students transitioning to doctoral study in the biomedical sciences with at least a 90% rate of doctoral degree completion. Faculty development in areas of mentoring and underrepresented minority student training forms a valuable component of this program. An evaluation plan that is ensconced in the scientific education literature that assesses the growth of student self-efficacy, and proven positive correlation to academic performance for general academic and subject specific areas as a consequence of their participation in components of the LIU-RISE and complementary developmental activities, is designed as an integral part of this program. The activities are all designed to extend beyond the 15 student slots to have a significant institutional impact, thus imparting added value in the increased diversity of the scientific workforce.
The activities described in this proposal will effectively increase the diversity in the scientific workforce through a very intensive training regiment that is designed to better prepare students from underrepresented minorities in the sciences for doctoral level training in the biomedical sciences.
