DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant) This proposed STEER program is intended to support the annual participation of eight academically talented undergraduates in the Environmental Health Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research Program (EHS-SURP). The overall goal of EHS-SURP is to provide an authentic, hands-on, ten-week bench research experience for students considering careers in EHS research. Mentorship will be provided by training faculty, who are all members of the NIEHS Center for Research on Environmental Disease. The Center provides the cohesive and focused infrastructure that supports the EHS-SURP and provides a strong basis in EHS research. Under the direction of members of the training faculty, SURP students will conduct bench research on a defined, small project, related to the ongoing investigations in their mentor's laboratory. Students will also participate in didactic and career development activities designed to promote and prepare students for entry into graduate and professional education programs leading to EHS careers. The SURP has been continuously supported by a NIEHS T35 training grant entitled: Short Term Training for Minority Students, since 1996. Programmatic evaluations demonstrate that the SURP has been an important contributor to the career development of the participating students and has influenced their decision and ability to pursue graduate training leading to careers in scientific research and/or medicine.