**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THIS 5-YEAR PROJECT WILL INCREASE PARTICIPATION OF UNDERREPRESENTED STUDENTS IN STEM/AGRICULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL FIELDS THROUGH SUMMER RESEARCH PROJECTS AT OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY (OSU), OSU HATFIELD MARINE SCIENCE CENTER (HMSC), OSU BRANCH EXPERIMENT STATIONS (BES), OSU EXTENSION, US FOREST SERVICE PACIFIC NORTHWEST RESEARCH LABORATORY, OSU FOOD INNOVATION CENTER, AND USDA ARS HORTICULTURAL CROPS RESEARCH LABORATORY. THE NIFA FOUNDATIONAL AREA IS FOOD SAFETY, NUTRITION, AND HEALTH, AND THE PROJECT IS MULTIDISCIPLINARY, RELEVANT TO PLANT AND ANIMAL HEALTH, FOOD, BIOENERGY, AND NATURAL RESOURCE SCIENCES. STUDENTS (6 EACH YEAR) WILL BE RECRUITED FROM COMMUNITY COLLEGES, CAMP (COLLEGE ASSISTANCE MIGRANT PROGRAM), SMILE (SCIENCE AND MATH LEARNING EXPERIENCE) AND OSU (50%). THE PROJECT EMBODIES THREE LAYERS OF MENTORING: THE PROJECT LEADERSHIP TEAM, EXPERIENCED FACULTY RESEARCH MENTORS, AND PEER/PROFESSIONAL/CAREER MENTORS. OUR TEAM HAS SPECIFIC AND APPROPRIATE EXPERIENCE THROUGH WORK WITH CAMP, SMILE, OSU MANRRS (MINORITIES IN AGRICULTURE, AND RELATED RESOURCES), SACNAS (SOCIETY FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF CHICANOS AND NATIVE AMERICANS IN SCIENCES), BIORESOURCE RESEARCH (BRR; RESEARCH-BASED BIOSCIENCES MAJOR IN COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES), TWO NSF-FUNDED REU PROGRAMS INVOLVING COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS, AND FIVE USDA MULTICULTURAL SCHOLARS PROGRAMS (MSP). FOR EACH 10-WEEK SUMMER SESSION, STUDENTS WILL PARTICIPATE IN AN EIGHT-WEEK RESEARCH PROJECT, MATCHED TO THEIR INTERESTS, WITH EXPERIENCED RESEARCH MENTORS. WE WILL ASSESS THE PROGRAM AND TRACK FUTURE STUDENT ATTAINMENTS. MENTORING INTENDED TO SUCCESSFULLY SPRING-BOARD AND TRANSITION COMMUNITY COLLEGE PARTICIPANTS INTO BS STEM DEGREE MAJORS WILL CONTINUE BEYOND THE SUMMER PROGRAM VIA VIRTUAL AND/OR IN-PERSON ENGAGEMENT WITH THE OSU MANRRS CHAPTER MEMBERS AND MANRRS NATIONAL CONFERENCE ATTENDANCE.