DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The long-term objective of this MBRS IMSD Program is to increase the number of under-represented minority students entering the biomedical graduate fields and biomedical research professions. The University of Washington is the primary biomedical research university for the Pacific Northwest. The establishment of an effective program to promote the development of under-represented minority scientists is thus crucial in this vital corner of the country. This program is designed to excite under-represented minority students about biomedical research careers, and to prepare them to excel at those careers. It will provide an integrated set of academic and research activities that connect across the undergraduate to graduate spectrum, and focus some of the wider resources and community support from the university's office of Minority Affairs to specific IMSD program objectives.