Monday, March 17, 2025
3/17/2025
URISE at PVAMU PI/PD: Regisford The increasing need for a well-trained STEM workforce, made more poignant during this COVID-19 pandemic, also requires a diverse population to meet the future needs and challenges in the biomedical sciences. An Undergraduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement (U-RISE) program will reach a large racial and ethnic underrepresented (UR) population with disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds and first-generation college students at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU), a historically black university. Moreover, PVAMU's promotion of undergraduate engagement in research, and its established collaborations with surrounding research- intensive universities, provide a robust learning environment that will strongly support a U-RISE program. Although student enrollment in biomedical science disciplines such as Biology and Chemistry are relatively high, less than 10% declare an interest in graduate school; a conundrum that may be due to lack of exposure and preparation for the rigors of graduate school. Therefore, the overarching goal of this proposed U-RISE program is to enhance student participation and preparation in the biomedical sciences for matriculation into highly competitive PhD programs and ultimately, a biomedical science research career. This goal will be accomplished by the following specific objectives: (1) Provide an enriched interdisciplinary research culture that exposes all U-RISE trainees to hands-on research for three consecutive years; (2) Enhance the academic curriculum that fosters advancement of 80% of U-RISE at PVAMU trainees to a biomedical science graduate program and (3) Create a nurturing learning community by engaging U-RISE at PVAMU trainees in a multidimensional mentoring program, that will lead to improved retention (90% of U-RISE trainees) and graduation rate (90% of U-RISE trainees). Program elements will include professional skills development of all U- RISE trainees to enhance their competitiveness. We have built a multidisciplinary team of faculty, research professors/scientists, and external collaborators to create a nurturing and stimulating culture that will evoke evidence-based student support and motivation practices. Each year, four sophomores will be selected to join the U-RISE at PVAMU program. Selection of U-RISE trainees will be based on the following criteria: the students' academic record, member of a racial and ethnic UR population, a declared major in a biomedical science discipline, and a desire to attend graduate school in the biomedical sciences. The expected outcomes are (1) an increase in the number of students who become engaged in biomedical science research; (2) an extensive academic preparation of U-RISE at PVAMU trainees for matriculation into a competitive graduate program within one year after graduation; and (3) the creation of a replicable, transportable, evidence-based model that promotes preparation of undergraduates from UR populations for biomedical science research careers. Ultimately, the U-RISE at PVAMU program will contribute to increased diversity in the biomedical sciences workforce.
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