The MBRS Program at Hunter College has two major objectives: 1. To increase biomedical research participation by advanced undergraduate and graduate minority students currently enrolled in the Departments of Biological Sciences, Chemistry and Physics at Hunter College; and 2. To encourage a greater number of minority students in entry level sciences courses to select majors in the sciences and to become involved in research experiences early in their college careers. In order to implement these broad objectives over the course of the proposed granting period, we will: 1. Increase the number of Black American students in the MBRS program; 2. Provide a more diverse scholarship program for potential MBRS applicants (students entering from high school, transferring from other institutions and graduate students . 3. Increase our recruitment efforts for minority students in the geographic region of New York City; 4. Increase the number of graduate students in the program from outside the New York metropolitan area; 5. Hold a workshop for all New York City area high school guidance counselors; and 6. Hold science seminars of New York City high school students, grades 7-12. The strengths of the Hunter College MBRS program are scientific and demographic; namely, modern research facilities; program investigators who are engaged in biomedical research and who are funded by outside grant support; the unique New York City metropolitan geographic area; a very large student pool; and a highly supportive college administration. We fell that these factors provide a very fertile environment in which to train top quality students and will permit us to reach our objectives.
