Undergraduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement (U-RISE) (T34) at CSULB

California State University Long Beach, Long Beach CA

Investigators

Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract The California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) is one of 23 campuses of the California State University (CSU) system, the largest 4-year public university system in the US. Designated a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) since 2005 and an Asian American, Native American and Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI) since 2011, it is committed to effectively serve the socioeconomically diverse urban populations in southern California. It has been highly successful in attracting, retaining and graduating underrepresented and underserved (UR/US) students and provides an ideal environment for identifying and fostering the growth of a diverse group of students who are interested in future academic careers in biomedical research. The mission of the current CSULB Undergraduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement (U-RISE) (T34) proposal is to increase diversity in future scientific and biomedical research by training undergraduate (UG) students to enter and succeed in graduate programs and beyond. The rationale for the proposed program is that the university has a rich pool of UG students from diverse backgrounds, and a large pool of faculty members conducting high quality research funded by federal and private programs, with UGs as frontline researchers being a brand name for the university. Further, CSULB was recently re-classified as an R2 university with high research activity as per Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education and as a research-active university based on the NIH definition of eligibility tracks for funding of diversity enhancing programs. The university has ~30 years track record of integrating research into education, with students supported through diversity training programs such as the NIH MARC and RISE. The last 5-year record shows ~80% of CSULB MARC and RISE trainees entered graduate programs. More recently the BUILD program further laid the groundwork for UG research work led by faculty members who have been increasingly adopting best mentoring practices by undergoing training as part of Advancing Inclusive Mentoring (AIM) program. Together, these programs inform the current U-RISE proposal of effective mentoring practices for training UR/US students in research. The design of the CSULB U-RISE program involves training 24 UG students (at any given point during the five-year cycle) from diverse backgrounds in research over a two-year period. Scholars with high academic record and research interest and who have two years left to graduation in their academic status (typically in their junior year), and those bearing high potential for research and demonstrating resilience and persistence will be recruited and trained to be competitive and successful in graduate school. The objectives of the program are to offer: i) elevated research-infused academic education, ii) immersive research experience, and iii) graduate school preparation and professional development activities. Key activities that promote skills development include: i) trainees undertaking courses involving directed reading and research, scientific research communication and seminars, graduate level and advanced research methodology courses; ii) trainees participating in authentic intramural research experience with a CSULB faculty mentor during their two years of training and extramural research for ~ 8 weeks during year 2 of their training in a research-intensive PhD-offering environment, and, iii) trainees engaged in various professional development activities to develop soft skills to succeed in graduate school through mandatory weekly learning community meetings on topics such as research careers, resumes and statement of purpose and graduate programs. The intended trainee outcomes are presentations at U-RISE Scholars Committee of faculty members, at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students and at national conferences in their individual discipline, participation in manuscript preparation as co-authors for publication in peer reviewed journals at the discretion of their faculty mentors. A major outcome of this preparation is entering, successfully transitioning into and completing biomedical higher degree graduate programs. Throughout this experience the importance of responsible conduct of research and, rigor and transparency in biomedical research will be emphasized. Taken together, these experiences are expected to infuse social and scientific values, enhance the academic skills, confer research skills, foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills, develop the scholars professionally. The significance of the CSULB U-RISE program lies in its training components that prepares the scholars and trains the mentors in best mentoring practices. The innovative aspect of the program stems from its core practice of collaboration between faculty members who have undergone AIM training, social scientists, administrators, and evaluator to provide UG students training. Their feedback allows the program personnel to attenuate and respond rapidly with thoughtful interventions, and to enable the students to build their scientific identity and to respond to evolving issues and trainee needs. The CSULB U-RISE program will develop the overall intellectual, professional and leadership abilities of participating trainees, with an overall goal of achieving equity, diversity, and inclusiveness in biomedical research careers.