Due to cultural and historic barriers, minorities continue to be underrepresented in science, mathematics, and engineering. Despite some growth in the number of minorities receiving undergraduate degrees in science and engineering, there has been little increase in the number of minorities at the doctoral level. It is essential for the scientific community to provide training opportunities and role models for promising young students in order to encourage them to pursue advanced degrees in science, mathematics, and engineering and careers in research. Cooperatively with the National Science Foundation, the Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering (CBMSE) at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) has developed a summer internship program for minority students which gives the interns the opportunity to experience professional laboratory research first hand focussing uniquely on training future scientist and engineers. During the first seven years of the program, fifty-eight outstanding students have spent ten weeks working in the CBMSE on exciting projects at the leading edge of science and technology. Of the students who have completed their undergraduate degrees, most have gone on to receive master's degrees and many are currently in doctoral programs. Based upon the success, it is proposed to renew and expand the program with special attention paid to chemical engineers and materials scientists. Other divisions at NRL will be included and recruiting efforts will be increased to pursue students at additional HBCU/MI/TCU's (Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Minority Institutions, and Tribal College and Universities).
It is also proposed to establish joint research programs between NRL scientist and faculty members at HCBU/MI/TCU's in which students would perform work leading to a master's degree or undergraduate thesis jointly at the two institutions.
