The central goal of the University of Kansas? multidisciplinary Maximizing Access to Research Careers program (KU MARC) is to provide research, academic, and professional development training to students from groups underrepresented in the biomedical sciences. The program will have a special emphasis on American Indian (AI) students. All participant students will be well prepared to thrive in competitive PhD programs and assume leadership roles in subsequent biomedical research careers. The geographic and demographic context in which KU is situated provides many unique opportunities and challenges for this training program. KU is a premier research institution, an AAU member, and classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a ?Doctoral University: Very High Research Activity?. Given its suburban/rural location, KU is a predominantly majority-serving institution. However, KU?s recruitment and retention efforts to increase diversity are paying dividends, and 45% of undergraduates in KU MARC-participating programs are MARC-eligible, providing a robust applicant pool. Moreover, KU is fortunate to have a long-standing relationship with nearby Haskell Indian Nations University, including a co-sponsored Bridges to the Baccalaureate Program. KU MARC is well-positioned to recruit and train AI students, who are severely underrepresented in the sciences, through its research and professional development training as well as its tuition support for students transferring from Haskell to KU. KU MARC?s programmatic activities are focused both on scholars? development as scientists and on building an inclusive community that can provide support as MARC scholars navigate the many challenges inherent to being underrepresented in their fields. Key activities will include 1) a Pre-MARC program, where potential MARC scholars will be mentored by current scholars and will explore biomedical research and career opportunities; 2) Individual Development Plans to guide scholars? research, academic, and professional activities; and 3) comprehensive research experiences (10-15 hrs/wk during the academic year; 40 hrs/wk in summer, including a required off-campus research experience) under the guidance of a KU faculty mentor. Research experiences will be focused on cultivating scholars? ability to develop hypotheses, design rigorous and unbiased experiments, analyze and interpret results, and disseminate findings widely. Key activities also include 4) responsible conduct of research and rigor and reproducibility training; 5) coursework including scientific writing, quantitative/analytical methods, and how to prepare competitive graduate school applications; 6) matching of new MARC scholars with IMSD/MARC alumni mentors to provide support and guidance; 7) opportunities to present research at national, regional and local conferences; and 8) leadership and outreach opportunities held in collaboration with KU MARC?s many campus partners. We propose to train 24 MARC scholars over the next five years, with a particular emphasis on training AI students, as mentioned above. Our goal is that more than 70% of scholars will transition into biomedical PhD/MD-PhD programs.
The proposed project will increase the diversity of the scientific community by preparing students from underrepresented groups with a focus on American Indian students for graduate study and careers in biomedical research. The project will increase the size of the scientific workforce and increase interest in research regarding diseases with a high incidence in minority populations, improving both health care and disease prevention in this country.
