The University of California, Irvine (UCI) is a research institution that has gained national recognition for its Minority Science Programs (MSP) at the School of Biological Sciences. The MARC U*STAR at UCI is a new initiative that aims at increasing the number of honors underrepresented minority (URM) undergraduates that enter and excel in research doctorates in biomedical sciences. Major program components include, 1) pre- MARC student development activities designed to increase student retention, improve the academic preparedness and interest in biomedical research of URM freshmen and sophomores, and to identify and prepare students for appointment as MARC trainees and 2) a MARC component that supports 10 juniors and 10 seniors to increase the number of competitively trained URM who enroll in research doctorates, by strengthening their academic preparation and research training. Independent research conducted under the direction of faculty mentors serve as a core element to induce MARC scholars to pursue graduate school and research-focused careers. Over 100 faculty with experience training URM undergraduates and with funded research programs will serve as preceptors of MARC scholars. The MARC research training elements are integrated with the undergraduate curriculum and include, 1) individual career and academic advising, 2) a research faculty seminar series, 3) a course on critical reading, writing and reasoning, 4) a course on biostatistics, 5) a course on laboratory safety, 6) a course on responsible conduct of research, 7) a journal club to introduce scholars to critical reading of current biomedical literature, 8) a workshop on principles, instrumentation and techniques used in biomedical research, 9) preparation to present oral presentations and posters at local and national conferences, 10) a course designed to write a paper to be published in the faculty-refereed undergraduate research journal and/or a peer-reviewed journal, 11) GRE preparation and 12) individual advice during the graduate school application process.
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