The goal of the Research Enrichment Program (REAP) at Bronx Community College is to increase the number of underrepresented minority students that become acquainted with and motivated to pursue biomedical research careers. To that end, a major objective of REAP is to increase the pool of Bronx Community College (BCC) minority graduates who continue undergraduates and graduate biomedical research-related education, culminating in biomedical research centers.
The specific aim of REAP is to provide qualified and motivated minority students with a varied set of complementary experiences which provide an understanding of the methodology, challenges, opportunities and rewards in biomedical research. Participants will be part of a community of peers and faculty offering both academic and social support during times when career choices are being made. It is anticipated that the three complementary segments of REAP, (1) Stimulated Research Experience, (2) Symposium Experience, and (3) Participatory Research Experience, will serve as the basis to better prepare students to participate in biomedical research. The Simulated Research Experience will introduce students to scientific methods and technique as well as research-related simulations. Students will be introduced to research planning and project selecting, scientific literature search and review, sections of a scientific paper and methods of presentation of scientific findings. The Symposium Experience will provide the REAP students with the opportunity to experience live information exchanges, with a question and answer component. Additionally, the students will come in contact with minority scientists, prior and current MBRS students, who can serve as role models, and the scientific community at large. The Symposium Experience will include attendance at local and regional symposium and one national conference. The Participatory Research Experience will permit students to engage in on and off-campus research experience during the summer. This will allow students to participate in biomedical research in established research intensive laboratories. The goal of the extended REAP component is to prove continued research related opportunities to BCC students who have completed REAP, but have not yet graduated, and who have not ben able to find available positions in laboratories funded by other source. Extended REAP is composed of (1) a continued participatory research experience, and (2) a continued symposium experience.
