Over the past six years, a partnership between Haskell Indian Nations University and the University of Kansas has been forged to achieve the goal of bringing more American Indians into the biomedical research community. With support from the NIGMS MORE programs (Bridge, IMSD, RISE and IRACDA), 24 American Indian students from KU or Haskell are either enrolled in graduate school or are in the pipeline to enter a biomedical graduate program. We seek to build on these successes by providing research and academic training to American Indian students with a bachelor's degree who find themselves under-prepared for graduate work. The KU Post-Baccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) will recruit talented American Indian students from Haskell, KU, and elsewhere. These scholars will begin a program of research, coursework and professional development that will prepare them to become the next generation of research scientists. PREP scholars will work as apprentice scientists with KU faculty research mentors who have already demonstrated their willingness and ability to mentor minority students. Additionally, an individualized academic plan will be created for each scholar based on the results of academic evaluation and assessment and input from an external evaluator/technical assistant. KU's PREP will emphasize math, reading and writing, and leadership and development skills to guarantee success in competitive graduate programs. In collaboration with experts in reading and writing, the plan will include tutorials and coursework in professional writing that will enhance the PREP scholars' ability to critique, synthesize and write within their chosen field. The KU Math department will work with individual scholars to elevate their quantitative skills to an advanced level appropriate for today's scientific research. In addition to coursework in reading and writing, mathematics, and their chosen discipline, all PREP scholars will complete a seminar in the responsible conduct of research and participate in a series of professional development activities that will strengthen their research background, communication skills, preparation for the GRE, and overall qualifications for graduate school. Our goal is to advance PREP scholars to a level of excellence that will allow them to succeed in graduate school and become leaders in the scientific community. ? ? ?
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