The University of Colorado Health Sciences Center (UCHSC) and its Graduate School seek renewal of NHLBI funding for a minority summer Biomedical Sciences Research Internship Program (BioRIP). The current grant was first funded on June 2000 and provided funds for 6 trainees the first 2 years and 8 in subsequent years. The goal of this program has been to provide a stimulating research experience and recruit these students to attend graduate or professional schools and continue studies that will lead to a career in biomedical research. The UCHSC has an established commitment to increasing the diversity of its student population and to provide an experience in contemporary biomedical research to undergraduates that are members of under-represented populations. In addition to the NIH-funded slots, the President's Office of the University of Colorado and the Chancellor of UCHSC believe that the student population should be as diverse as possible and have therefore provided combined funds for 2-3 additional trainees. These trainees would not normally qualify as underrepresented minorities but are economically disadvantaged, from rural areas or first generation college attendees. In addition, funds have also been provided for training of talented minority high school students. The combined program, called Graduate Experiences for Multicultural Students (GEMS), has funded a total of 42 students in the past 4 years. The majority (88%) of these students have expressed a commitment to continue professional studies. Of the 26 students who have already graduated, 9 are enrolled in professional schools, and 13 are in the process of applying to graduate science and professional programs. All of the students who are still in school will definitely pursue post-graduate degrees in science or medicine. The current application builds upon this success and is seeking to increase the number of NIH-funded student slots to 10 and continue offering mentored research experiences in one of our research laboratories. These laboratory rotations will be coupled with an introductory course on molecular biological and biochemical techniques and overviews of biochemistry and cell biology. In addition, the students will participate in brown bag lunches covering topics such as """"""""Ethics in Science and Medicine"""""""", How to write a research paper"""""""", or """"""""How to put together an effective oral presentation"""""""". The UCHSC is unique in that there are no undergraduates at our institution, and that the majority of our research focuses upon health-related issues. Many of the undergraduates we have trained never had contact with a medical school, even if one exists on their campus, and therefore the experience on our campus represents the first contact they have with biomedical research in a dedicated setting. The University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and its neighboring institution, the National Jewish Medical and Research Center, offer a very talented group of investigators with a diverse interest in other biological problems of significance to the health sciences. These institutions offer a particular strength in pulmonary diseases. The research and educational components of BioRIP is also complemented by personal advising on health professional careers, and gaining admission to professional schools.
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