SUMMARY
This U-RISE grant proposal from the University of Detroit Mercy addresses the need for fostering
the development of underrepresented research scholars for careers in teaching and research in
the biomedical sciences. By increasing the diversity of underrepresented persons in positions of
leadership at research intensive institutions, the implicit biases that limit access to these positions
can be overcome. In addition, underrepresented persons with advanced degrees in research will
serve as role models for more junior trainees in the science pipeline who need peer mentors to
help visualize themselves at academic institutions with a career in biomedical research. This U-
RISE program (I-RISE with U-RISE: Preparing Underrepresented Scholars at Detroit Mercy for
Careers in Biomedical Research) will recruit, train, and mentor 60 underrepresented
undergraduates at the University of Detroit Mercy for three years (undergraduate years 2-4) per
student with a curriculum emphasizing scientific literacy, development, and research. Pre-URISE
and early U-RISE activities and courses will focus on establishing a sense of community, scientific
identity, and belonging as well as introducing trainees to their first hands-on laboratory
experiences with course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs). Their scientific
identity will be further strengthened with additional courses/training modules in scientific writing,
responsible conduct of research (RCR), and scientific ethics. Subsequently, I-RISE with U-RISE
trainees will take additional CUREs as available, attend training workshops on analyzing and
interpreting Big Data and methods for enhancing reproducibility, participate in ongoing RCR
training, and engage in numerous career development sessions with their research mentors and
the Student Success Coordinator. These strategies will ensure the trainees have all the guidance
and resources they need to plan their path to graduate school and PhD training beyond the I-
RISE with U-RISE program. I-RISE with U-RISE trainees will spend two summers engaged in
intensive research experiences (~32 hours/week for 8-10 weeks) that will allow them to leverage
their extensive course-based laboratory skills into practice in research laboratories. The first
summer research experience will be internal to the University of Detroit Mercy, while the second
will be off-site at a research-intensive institution. The goal of this integrated research initiative
program is to prepare underrepresented trainees for a successful career as PhD scientists in
biomedical research and pave the way for the development of future researchers in the field.