The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) established the Summer Research Program for High School Students (SRPHSS) in 1982. The goal of this program is to provide individualized hands-on biomedical/behavioral science summer research exposure to 11th and 12th grade students that will stimulate their research interest and encourage decisions towards careers in the biomedical/behavioral sciences. An average of thirty 11th and 12th graders work individually in research projects with experienced UTMB faculty members serving as mentors. Participation in this program is open to all racial and ethnic groups; however, the targeted population is minority students underrepresented in biomedical/behavioral science and the health care professions. Over the past twelve years this program has placed 228 students in research laboratories working on projects with scientist/physician mentors. In 1991, a high school teacher component was added. Nine teachers have conducted independent research projects under the tutelage of nine senior scientist mentors. The SRPHSS receives financial support from several sources, which include the NIH Minority High School Research Apprenticeship Program, the Harris and Eliza Kempner Foundation, individual faculty members in the School of Medicine and the UTMB Administration. The UTMB School of Medicine is requesting grant support for ten (10) minority high school students who are underrepresented in biomedical/behavioral science and the health professions and two (2) underrepresented minority high school teachers or teachers with a large proportion of underrepresented minority students.
