Delaware State University (DSU), founded as an 1891 Land-Grant Institution, enrolls over 3500 students. Of these, approximately 80% of undergraduate students are members of racial and ethnic minority groups traditionally underrepresented in STEM careers. This proposal will create and implement strong and diverse educational and research training avenues for students from underrepresented groups to ensure that they successfully pursue graduate training at the Ph.D. level in biomedical and closely related fields. We will effect institutional change through curricular enhancements to include integration of research and education and in particular the launch of a senior thesis honors track in the first year of the program. We will also support initiatives to enhance by 25% (a) the number of all STEM graduates with GPA of 3.25 or higher and (b) the number of all DSU STEM graduates who enter Ph.D. or MD/Ph.D. programs within five years (baseline 2009 data). In addition, we will strengthen existing relationships between DSU MARC-U*STAR faculty and trainees and high-caliber Ph.D. granting institutions while continuing to establish new extramural connections. Finally, to ensure that our program goals are being met we will establish continuous evaluation and assessment mechanisms of the program.
