The goal of the Research Enrichment Activities Program (REAP) is to increase the number of minorities in the research sciences. The key objective of REAP is to increase the pool of Bronx Community College (BCC) minority graduates pursuing careers in biomedical research.
The specific aim i s to provide qualified minority students a year long and varied set of complementary experiences which provide an understanding of the activities, challenges, opportunities and rewards in biomedical research. Students will be part of a year-round community of peers and faculty offering both academic and social support during times when critical career choices are being made. REAP is composed of three complementary segments which are designed to take students through a one-year experience involving a:1) Simulated Research Experience, 2) Symposium Experience, and 3) Participatory Research Experience. The Simulated Research Experience is the component in which student participants experience research-related simulations in a small group/seminar setting. These simulations take them through the process involved in becoming a biomedical researcher. The main activities will be: 1) hypothesis formation, and 4) proposal preparation and presentation. The simulated research activity will be augmented by the symposium experience and the participatory research experience. The Symposium Experience is a field component which provides opportunities for role modeling and experiencing direct contract and information exchange with minority scientist, current MBRS participants and the scientific community at large. The activities include attendance at, and participation in, scientific symposia and local and national conferences. The Participatory Research Experience is a field component providing summer research experience in a biomedical research facility as part of a research team conducting peer reviewed research programs. The goal of the REAP2 Bridge component is also to increase the number of minorities in the research sciences. The key objective is to provide continued research related opportunities prior to graduation for BCC students who have completed REAP but whose science research experiences might be interrupted by the lack of available positions through other funded programs. REAP2 Bridge is composed of two complementary segments involving: 1) a continued participatory research experience, and 2) a continued symposium experience.
