This proposal seeks to renew the Bridges to the Doctoral Program between Montclair State University (MSU) and University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Piscataway campus (GSBS-P). Our goal is to increase the number of underrepresented minority students (URM) from MSU who will be prepared to undertake the rigorous doctoral programs in the Molecular Biosciences at GSBS-P. MSU is well situated for this program because of its large undergraduate URM pool, its focus on research for undergraduates, its enhanced M.S. program, its committed faculty with URM role models; and its close links with various programs at UMDNJ, including the GSBS-P. GSBS-P has an established commitment to minority education, demonstrated by the large increase in URM students in the Molecular Biosciences doctoral programs, and by the successful attainment of Ph.D degrees by URM students. The geographic proximity of MSU and GSBS-P permits close cooperation between the campuses. M.S./Ph.D. Bridge students follow a 3-4 year M.S. program, including 2-3 semesters of coursework and research at MSU, followed by 2 years of coursework and thesis research at GSBS-P. Upon successful completion, they are awarded an M.S. degree from MSU and can enter the Molecular Biosciences Ph.D. programs with advanced standing. In the first grant period we recruited 4 students, of whom 3 continue at different stages of their M.S. training. Our experience and evaluation have identified student recruitment and screening as major elements for improvement, and we have formulated specific plans in these areas. This should allow an increase to the targeted number of students during this next grant period. With such an increase, this program should achieve its goals of increasing the number of M.S.U. URM students who continue to the Ph.D., while enhancing faculty and student development opportunities at MSU. ? ?
