Promoting Diversity of Future Scientists

Abstract The Summer Undergraduate Research in Physiology (SURP) program at the University of Michigan, currently funded by the R25HL108842 (“Promoting Diversity of Future Scientists”), is proposed to be extended to another five incoming classes to provide training for underrepresented students to enter advanced graduate programs or pursue careers in biomedical and clinical research. The renewal SURP program includes 23 excellent faculty mentors from basic science and clinical departments within the University of Michigan with strong training record for undergraduate students. During the last funding period (2016-2023), we offered 80 summer fellowships to a total of 69 qualified underrepresented college students (6 of the 69 fellowships were awarded to return students). All came from diverse and underserved backgrounds. Of the 44 graduated SURP trainees whose whereabouts are known to us, 27 students are pursuing advanced trainings (PhD, MD, or MS), 7 participating in research (Research Assistants or Lab technicians), and 10 employed in STEM fields. Thus, 100% of our 44 graduated SURP trainees continued in graduate training, in research, or in science/technology field, the kind of outcome our training program was aiming for. The focus of this renewal application is to continue the successful SURP program by recruiting 10 students per summer. Our 12-week summer research program includes (1) fulltime hands-on research experience in laboratories of our faculty mentors, (2) mentoring meetings to ensure that student trainees are taking maximum advantages of all the resources available to them; and (3) end of summer mini-symposium with oral presentations given by the students sharing their research projects. The SURP educational program incorporates a noon lecture series, designed specifically for the summer trainees and presented by faculty members, that teaches important physiology and research related principles, including the use of different model organisms, ethics in laboratory research, and career opportunities in biomedical sciences. We are fully committed to providing training to talented college students, from currently underrepresented backgrounds, to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse population.