Project Summary As both a Native-American serving, non-tribal institution and minority serving institution in poor, rural southeastern North Carolina, the U-RISE program at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke aims to increase the number of our diverse and disadvantaged students who pursue a terminal degree in biomedical or behavioral science and ultimately enter the biomedical research workforce. In order to accomplish this goal, we aim to recruit 6 trainees annually from underrepresented (UR) or disadvantaged backgrounds and provide them with two years of research training and experience with passionate faculty preceptors (for a total of 12 trainees supported each year). Research training will include basic skills such as lab safety and documenting experiments but also in communication skills, both written and oral, through practice writing abstracts, direction in reading primary sources, and presenting research in the form of elevator talks, poster and oral presentations. In addition, the trainees will be retained due to the formation of a strong cohort and supported by a three-pronged mentorship approach from peers, program leadership and research faculty. Furthermore, career exploration and development will aid in their retention by giving the trainees a more concrete picture of their future. Setting and accomplishing goals will be modeled through the development and monitoring of an individual development plan (IDP). To increase retention and resiliency in graduate training, trainees will take part in workshops and activities aimed at helping them develop coping and self-care strategies and increase self-efficacy and science identity. Recruitment of trainees will be facilitated by a pre-U-RISE summer research experience open to all students in the included majors. As a result of these activities, we expect that at least 90% of the RISE Fellows will graduate with a BS degree in biology, chemistry or physics and at least 75% of RISE Fellows will have entered a biomedical research graduate program within 3 years after graduation. The evidence-based interventions in the research training program will successfully prepare UNCP graduates to be confident, competent and experienced candidates to enter and succeed in biomedical research careers.

The UNCP U-RISE program aims to prepare undergraduate students underrepresented in the sciences for admission into biomedical PhD degree programs. Through mentored research experiences, career exploration, and guidance from faculty research mentors, program staff and peer mentors, trainees will gain the skills and experience needed to complete graduate degrees in STEM fields. This program will prepare a diverse cohort of biology, chemistry and physics majors with the skills to successfully complete their PhD degrees and successfully transition to careers in the biomedical research workforce.