MARC at the University of Colorado Denver

PROJECT SUMMARY The diversity of the United States population is not reflected in its biomedical sciences workforce, with the greatest disparities at the highest levels of degree attainment and in careers that require advanced degrees. Institutions of higher education have both the capacity and the imperative to address the structural barriers that create inequitable outcomes in degree attainment for underrepresented populations, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels of education. The University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver) is unique and uniquely positioned to meet this goal. CU Denver (comprised of the downtown Denver campus and the Anschutz Medical Campus) is a “Doctoral University: Higher Research Funding” with a funding portfolio of $790 million and a combined enrollment of 19,395 students. It is the only public urban research university in the State of Colorado and the most diverse institution in the CU system: on the Denver campus, at least 58% of incoming first-year students identify as students of color and 43% as underrepresented minority students. CU Denver's commitment to equity, lifelong learning, innovation, research excellence, and community care underlie its record of investment in undergraduate research and improving student success outcomes, including the timely graduation of undergraduate students and their transition into doctoral programs in biomedical sciences. The purpose of the CU Denver Maximizing Access to Research Careers program proposed here (MARC at CU Denver) is to continue this record of excellence and further contribute to the development of a diverse and inclusive national biomedical research workforce by providing underrepresented, honors-eligible undergraduate science majors with the courses, structured training activities, mentoring, and authentic research experiences necessary to transition successfully into research-focused biomedical doctoral programs. With prior funding and institutional support, CU Denver has spent nearly a decade developing, implementing, evaluating, and refining a successful training model that builds trainees' science knowledge and scientific thinking skills, research experience, communication and networking skills, sense of belonging and wellness skills, and career development skills. With continued institutional support and a record of success with a similar program, a new MARC at CU Denver program will support 30 trainees over five years such that 90% or more will complete their baccalaureate degrees in a biomedical science related field at CU Denver (80% or more in two years after joining the program) and 60% or more will matriculate into doctoral programs in biomedical science within three years of graduating, with an 80% doctoral program completion rate. The success of MARC at CU Denver is bolstered through institutional support for a base-building “pre-MARC” program for first and second-year students, scholar wellness and resiliency training and support, and continued external program evaluation. The scope of MARC at CU Denver is broadened through direct institutional support for additional senior CU Denver MARC Affiliate Scholars.