U-RISE at Texas State University

Project Summary/Abstract Texas State University (TxState) will implement an Undergraduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement program (U-RISE Tx) to increase the diversity and number of TxState students entering PhD programs in biomedical research. We will recruit qualified Hispanic and other underrepresented (UR) students

for extensive undergraduate research experiences in chemistry, biochemistry, and biology and provide these students with the skills, mentoring, training, and support necessary to excel in graduate school and beyond. U- RISE Tx will synergize with other successful NSF- and NIH-funded programs at TxState to broadly improve the

training environment through evidence-based training and mentoring methods that will be implemented across multiple departments. This program will accomplish its goals through the following Specific Aims: Recruitment: We will employ a robust recruitment strategy that includes Browse Sessions during University

open-house recruitment events for prospective high school seniors (Bobcat Days) and during New Student Orientation events; STEM-focused sections of the mandatory first-year seminar course US1100 and additional campus-wide advertising targeting STEM freshmen. Pre-RISE: Bi-weekly seminars for freshmen will provide

information regarding strategies for academic success, career decision making, and careers in the biomedical sciences. These sessions will include preparation for summer REU programs at one of our partner Tier-1 research institutions and will foster a community to build student self-confidence, social and cultural capital,

and scientific identity. Mentored research: First-year student applicants will be selected to join the U-RISE Tx program at the end of the Spring semester. U-RISE Tx trainees will participate in required coursework, structured activities, and independent research projects with program faculty mentors. Throughout the

program, trainees will participate in training for responsible conduct of research, research rigor and reproducibility, ethics, and laboratory safety. Trainees will participate in at least one summer REU program at one of our two partner T32-hosting research universities. An innovative aspect of the U-RISE Tx program is its

integration of laboratory automation training, with associated improvements in efficiency and reproducibility, and training in proper protocols for record-keeping in both traditional and electronic lab notebooks. Professional development: Faculty research mentors will participate in both local and national workshops

and seminars for mentorship. Trainees will participate in extensive career development activities focused on transitioning to PhD programs using Individual Development Plans and Research Portfolios. Teamwork, social interactions, and peer mentoring will develop a strong sense of belonging and science identity of trainees, who

will also have multiple opportunities to present their research within the program and at local and national meetings. Trainees and their mentors will undergo continual formative evaluation to ensure the quality of the program aided by an Oversight Committee and an External Advisory Committee.