The University of Arizona (UA) MARC program continues support for 7 current trainees and up to 41 new trainees to be selected in the next 5 years. This program provides unique research, mentoring, financial, and academic opportunities to upper-division under represented minority students (African-American, Hispanic, Native-American, U.S. Pacific Islander) who have interest and potential to pursue biomedical research careers, seeks to increase the number of such students entering Ph.D., and provides opportunities for non- MARC trainees.
Specific aims i nclude 1) to attract 125 new students per year to participate in outreach activities, 2) to reduce the gap in the percentage of under represented minority students achieving a grade average of greater than 3.0 in targeted majors relative to all other students, 3) to increase the 2-year retention rate in the MARC majors to 80% by fall 2010, and 4) to have 85% of MARC trainees who enter the pro- gram, as of June 2006, enter Ph.D. programs or Ph.D. coupled with other programs. UA MARC trainees are a select group, chosen for their grades, research interest, and potential, from an eligible pool of honors minority students from 11 majors (chemistry, math and 9 areas of biological science) in 4 colleges. Outstanding well-funded training faculty, provide opportunities for research guidance and intensive mentoring using their training experience with undergraduates and commitment to training minority students. Mentoring also is provided by the program director. Through the Minority Biomedical Research Colloquium, trainees meet outstanding minority scientists from other institutions as well as former UA MARC trainees in Ph.D. programs. Students attend workshops on research ethics and minority health disparities;take a Biomedical Ethics course;take part in a scientific writing program;attend national science meetings;participate in intramural and extramural research;present posters at campus and national conferences;give oral presentations in the Research Colloquium, and attend a GRE preparation course and workshops on the graduate application process. The UA MARC program, is selective, prestigious and the """"""""carrot"""""""" that encourages lower- division minority students to do well academically, and the conduit that prepares outstanding minority students to pursue careers in biomedical research. Pre-MARC outreach activities include a Careers Colloquium, the MARC Research Colloquium, and tutoring in lower-division math and science.
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