Assistant Director

MARC Biomedical Research and Training Program at the University of ArizonaPROJECT SUMMARY
The University of Arizona (UArizona) MARC program provides research experiences, formal and informal
mentoring, financial support and professional development training to upper-division underrepresented students
who have an interest in and potential to pursue biomedical research careers. The program seeks to increase the
number of such students entering PhD programs. The overarching objectives are to support 14 MARC trainees
per year in two cohorts beginning June 2023 and for 85% of the trainees to complete the program, graduate from
UArizona and matriculate in PhD or combined-PhD/MD programs by Fall 2029. The trainees will be
underrepresented honors students from 14 biomedically-relevant majors distributed in 12 departments across
four colleges at UArizona. Outstanding, well-funded UArizona MARC training faculty will provide research
guidance and intensive mentoring, drawing upon their significant experience with undergraduates and their
commitment to training underrepresented students. Trainees will also be formally mentored by the Program
Director and Associate Director. Through the Minority Biomedical Research Colloquium series, trainees will meet
prominent scientists from other institutions, as well as former UArizona MARC trainees, who are currently in or
recently graduated from PhD programs. Trainees will attend workshops on responsible conduct of research,
research safety and minority health disparities; take part in a scientific writing course; attend national scientific
meetings; participate in intramural and extramural research; present posters at campus and national
conferences; give oral presentations in the Research Colloquium series and other forums and attend workshops
on the graduate application process. Each trainee will be provided individualized support on graduate school
applications and will be coached through the interview and selection process. The UArizona MARC program will
also encourage lower-division underrepresented students to perform well academically so as to secure MARC
traineeships and thus prepare for careers in biomedical research. The MARC program has been iteratively
designed based on feedback from former and current trainees, the program evaluator and the internal Advisory
Committee. The success of this responsive program design is evident in metrics from the past funding cycle in
that the percentage of underrepresented trainees entering biomedical doctoral research programs improved from
70% for the first cohort (2017–2018) to 90% for the fourth cohort (2020–2021). The MARC Program Director,
Associate Director and Assistant Director have and will continue to provide persistent, seamless and inclusive
support for trainees. We will continue to provide effective activities and inclusive support to enhance the transition
of our trainees into biomedical research doctoral programs.

KMap

Chemistry & Biochemistry - Science