Participation of under-represented minorities in biomedical research careers:

1. Participation of under-represented minorities in biomedical research careers: Programs to increase recruitment and retention at UC Davis Kenneth Burtis*, Gina Holland, Barbara Horwitz, Marty Privalsky, Mark Sanders, Amy Barlow and Merna Villarejo Introduction Increasing the number of biomedical research scientists from under-represented minority groups presents a dual challenge: recruitment and retention. That is, increasing the number of minority students interested in the pursuing a biomedical research career (recruitment); and increasing the percentage of students who remain committed to this pursuit throughout the rigors of undergraduate and graduate education (retention). Therefore, to have a significant impact on the scientific workforce, recruitment programs must be coupled with programs designed to ensure that the experience is rewarding, productive, and successful.  At UC Davis, we have addressed these issues by developing programs that meet students' needs at three critical phases of their educational career: (1) the transition from high school to university; (2) the transition from community college to university; and (3) the transition from university to the first year of graduate school. Each of these transitions presents special challenges to a student such that failure to address them can result in failure to retain the student's commitment to pursuing a career in biomedical research. To help students successfully meet transitional challenges, the three UC Davis programs use the strategies of (1) providing coordinated training and guidance in developing the skills necessary for getting off to a strong start in both the classroom and the research laboratory; and (2) providing the means to develop a supportive group culture among both students and faculty to provide ongoing encouragement and assistance to the students. Although these undergraduate programs were not designed with the specific interests of the UC Davis Training Grant in Molecular and Cellular Biology in mind, they will nonetheless increase the pool of committed and well-trained students from under-represented groups who are prepared to excel in graduate training in the biomedical sciences. This will benefit both our own training program, as well as other graduate programs across the nation. In the case of the graduate-level NIH-IMSD Fellows Program, there is a much more direct impact, as students participating in the Fellows Program in their first year provide strong candidates for support by the training grant, which accepts students beginning in the second year of graduate studies.  Upper Division Undergraduate Students - the TSFP / IMSD Program Currently, 37 percent of UC Davis graduates begin their undergraduate education in the California community college system. This is an important alternative route to UCD for all students, but particularly for under-represented and non-traditional students. The Division of Biological Sciences and UC Davis actively encourage student transfer, while recognizing that the transition from community college to the University can be difficult. A transient drop in the students' GPA is the most common manifestation of transition difficulties. Factors contributing to "transfer shock" are weak academic foundation; the rapid pace of the quarter system; large and impersonal university classes; isolation from friends and peer groups; and, lack of involvement in the discipline. The Transfer Student Fellows Program (TSFP) prepares transfer students for university-level course work and provides access to undergraduate research opportunities. To encourage students to transfer to UCD and to apply to TSFP, the Project Co-Directors, Drs. Mark Sanders and Gina Holland visit area community colleges. Transfer Fellows initiate their participation in TSFP by attending a pre-entry summer session at UCD. They enroll in "Genes and Gene Expression", the first upper-division course in the biological sciences core curriculum, and in a TSFP seminar class which conveys the excitement of current scientific discoveries and provides a setting for community-building among the students. The pace of the 6-week summer session is extremely rapid, which is good preparation for the 10-week academic quarter that the Fellows will encounter in the months ahead. During their junior academic year, Fellows enroll in a 1-unit seminar class that introduces them to the range of biological disciplines at UCD and connects them with research opportunities. This seminar course involves a variety of experiences for the students, including presentation of oral reports on scientific issues and their own laboratory research experiences, discussion of research in the primary literature, preparation for taking the GRE, development of interview skills, and interaction with campus units that are important sources of advice and other student services. Evaluation of program success To justify their continuation, as well as to identify new approaches and improvements that can be applied when appropriate, it is important to continually evaluate the success of each program that comprises our overall effort to increase the participation of under-represented students in biomedical research careers. BUSPOf the programs discussed, BUSP has the longest track record and has been the most comprehensively evaluated. Recent formal evaluation indicates that BUSP has worked exceptionally well in improving early academic performance. BUSP students consistently out-perform non-BUSP students in the general chemistry classes by 0.5-1.1 grade points. For example, last year ('99-'00) the BUSP freshmen earned an average GPA of 3.29 in CHE 2A (the first in the general chemistry series) versus the 2.18 average GPA of the non-BUSP students. Similar gains for BUSP students are seen in the calculus courses as a result of the supplemental calculus course work. Further, the strategy of formal, organized study groups and workshops in chemistry and biology has been effective for BUSP sophomores. Typically, students who participate in the biology study groups earn grades one-third to two-thirds of a gradepoint (eg., B versus C+) higher than their peers in introductory biology; the pre-organic chemistry workshop participants show similar gains. We have begun our evaluation of overall long-term BUSP efficacy by analyzing graduation data on the 397 BUSP students who entered the program from 1988 to 1994, using 6-year graduation rates. Of these students, 67% were female, 56% were Hispanic, 26% were African American, 5% were Native American, and 13% were Filipino/ Asian American/Other. The data from this evaluation serves as our baseline for setting future program goals and objectives. We have found that 271 of the 397 (68%) earned baccalaureates from UC Davis - 133 (34%) graduated with biology baccalaureates, and 47 (17%) graduated with biology baccalaureates and GPA's of 3.0-or-greater. From a survey of BUSP alumni, we have learned that many have pursued post-graduate education. The following numbers of BUSP graduates are either in, or have already completed, these programs: 13 Ph.D., 29 M.D./O.D., 2 M.D./Ph.D., 3 D.D.S., 2 D.V.M., 4 graduate nursing programs, 28 masters programs (various disciplines), and 21 teaching credentials. These achievements are noteworthy because many of these students are the first in their families to finish high school, let alone attend college, and many entered college requiring remedial course work in math and/or English. Research participation is a major component of the BUSP design, but is not mandatory. BUSP students have been encouraged to begin work in a research laboratory as early as possible, often in the freshman year. To determine whether research experience is important to student persistence and performance in biology, we compared the academic performance of the 275 BUSP students who had a research experience with the 119 BUSP students who did not, using a multivariate analysis that controls for demographic variables (sex, ethnicity), and academic preparation variables (high school GPA, math and verbal SAT scores, EOP status, and admissions status - special action/regular admission) through logistic regression modeling. The multivariate analysis allows us to look at one independent variable at a time, compensating for the influence of all other variables.  Participation in a research experience significantly enhanced student success. All other variables being equal, students who participated in research were nearly twice as likely to graduate (in any major) from UC Davis and had nearly four times the chance of graduating with a major in Biology (p=.0002). Most strikingly, research experience was associated with 7.16 fold increase in the chances of students graduating in Biology with a cumulative UCD GPA of 3.0-or-higher (p=.0147). These data emphasize the importance of research involvement in the students' academic program. Our results also indicate that research experience appears to be a distraction in the first years, but an extensive research experience is a definite plus for more advanced students, leading to higher graduation rates. Multiple terms of research are also strongly associated with persistence in biology majors. These results have clear implications for program design. They underscore the importance of research in the undergraduate biology curriculum for our population of under-represented and disadvantaged students. However, in the future, we will postpone research until the sophomore or junior year, and prepare the students better for it by introducing a laboratory methods course for BUSP freshmen. BUSP's goal is to increase the number of eligible students who are qualified for and choose careers in biology. Does the success we have measured in the early years predict successful completion of biology degrees and is participation in the program responsible? To answer this question, we are comparing the BUSP group with 877 non-participants of the same ethnic groups who entered UCD in the same years, selecting the same majors. The comparison group has, on average, better academic preparation than the students who elected to participate in BUSP: higher high school GPAs (3.57 vs 3.37), higher math SATs (523 vs 498) and verbal SATs (458 vs 417). To make a valid comparison of the two groups, and determine the effect of group membership, it is necessary to use multivariate logistic regression to control for the differences in demographics and academic preparation. The raw data indicate that BUSP students graduated from UCD at essentially the same rate as the comparison group; 68% for BUSP and 69% for the comparison group. However, once the influence of all other variables in the model is omitted, participation in BUSP has a significant impact on whether students graduate with a major in a biological science. BUSP membership increases the odds of a student graduating with a degree in biology by 1.42 fold (42% increase, p=.0066). BUSP appears to be effective in helping students graduate in biology majors, but does it enable them to be competitive applicants to graduate and professional schools? Here the results are more equivocal. Holding all other variables in the model constant, participation in BUSP is associated with a 1.47 fold (47%) increase in the odds of graduating with a biology major and a GPA > 3.0. However, the p-value is .0926, which suggests marginal statistical significance. In 1995, we began a series of changes in the program to increase the rates at which students graduated with life sciences baccalaureates and with the strong academic performance (cumulative GPA > 3.0) necessary for competitive application to graduate and professional programs. Specifically, we created a deferral option for students with inadequate math and language preparation. Instead of enrolling in the rigorous BUSP freshman curriculum of chemistry, calculus, biology, and supplemental coursework, these students spend the freshman year honing their math and language skills, and meeting regularly with BUSP advisors who monitor their academic performance and progress. Provided that they make satisfactory progress in their studies (minimum GPA of 2.3 in math and language courses; minimum GPA of 2.8, overall), they are admitted to BUSP in the Fall Quarter of their second year. We are also poised to begin a second series of changes in the BUSP curriculum (deferral of research laboratory work until sophomore year; institution of a laboratory methods course). We predict that such changes will further increase graduation rates and positive outcomes in biology.  TSFP: Although a comprehensive long-term analysis of TSFP has not yet been completed, some indication of the success of this program has been obtained through ad hoc comparisons of student performance. For example, the TSFP entering classes of summer 1995 and 1996 completed their first year with an average cumulative GPA of 3.14, which compares favorably with the GPA of 2.81 achieved by the other 618 biology transfer students in those classes. Likewise, the performance of TSFP students in the summer genetics course has consistently been equal or better than that of the class as a whole. In this respect, it is important to note that TSFP is not an honors program; students are selected based on factors suggesting that they are at-risk for experiencing transition difficulty during their first year. Thus, their performance would seem to indicate a positive effect of the program. To determine if participation in TSFP results in increased participation in research careers, particularly for under-represented students, we will begin formal evaluation of the program during the coming year . IMSD: Because the IMSD-supported activities did not begin until 1998, we do not yet have a cohort of students who have completed their doctorates. However, as a means of assessing our efficacy in meeting the goals of this grant, we can report on our progress with respect to the following objectives that were in the original application. (1) Development of scientific communication skills. During the first three years of the IMSD award, we have provided support for 21 under-represented students either as entering or continuing doctoral students in various areas of the life sciences. Of these, 76% are female; 19% are African American, 52% are Hispanic, 5% are Native American, and 24% are Filipino/Other. Each of these students completed at least one intensive laboratory rotation for the equivalent of 7 weeks. Each student made at least four oral presentations that were critiqued by their peers as well as by participating faculty and advanced graduate students. In addition, each student, working with a faculty mentor, wrote a predoctoral fellowship application that was then critiqued by the group. Each student also participated in several workshops: (1) oral presentation skills and composition of effective visual aids; (2) the use of software to generate a stimulating and professional presentation; (3) mechanics of generating an effective poster presentation; and (4) use of EndNote software in building a reference library and in managing references lists for use in report/manuscript citation listings. (2) Creation of a supportive group culture among IMSD students and faculty. We have taken a three-fold approach to developing a supportive group culture. First, we solicited several faculty mentors to attend the summer bridge program meetings and to mentor a specific first-year Fellow by providing professional advice regarding academic programs as well as scientific skills development (e.g., the written assignment). In addition, each of the Fellows completed at least one research rotation with a faculty member. Second, in years 2 and 3 we have included two advanced IMSD Fellows in the group meetings. The advanced Fellows have discussed their relevant graduate school experiences and provided constructive critiques of the oral and written work of the new Fellows. Our third approach has been to provide a group setting in which the Fellows feel comfortable constructively critiquing each other's written and oral assignments, and frankly discussing any questions and problems that have arisen. (3) Successful advancement to candidacy for the Ph.D. We have had considerable success with our students passing their qualifying exams and being advanced to Ph. D. candidacy. Of the 21 students we have supported since the inception of this award, eight have taken and passed their qualifying exam on the first attempt, eight are second year students, and three are first year students. Two have transferred from Ph.D. to M.S. programs and are expected to complete their thesis/exam work by the end of this academic year. Efforts to Increase the Number of Under-Represented Students Supported by the Training Grant in Molecular and Cellular Biology (T32-GM07377) The UC Davis Training Grant in Molecular and Cellular Biology supports students in their second, third and fourth years of graduate study, and thus is not directly involved in the recruitment of the first-year students who comprise the pool from which its trainees are selected. However, the diversity of this pool obviously has an important impact on the ability of the program to increase the number of under-represented trainees. The members of the Training Grant have responded to this challenge in a number of ways. (1) Service of trainers on Admissions Committees. Trainers in the NIH/MCB Training Grant, including members of our Executive Committee, serve on the recruitment and admissions committees of many of the relevant Graduate Groups. In this capacity, we have made a special effort to identify under-represented students who are good matches for the campus in general, and for our NIH/MCB Training Grant Program in particular. These students are aggressively encouraged to visit the campus and to meet with faculty (both Trainers and non-Trainers). We have had very good success in arranging these visits. The visits are followed by telephone calls from the faculty in whom the students are interested, and from members of the admissions and recruitment committees. The success of this approach is clearly dependent on the diversity of the graduate program applicant pool. Programs such as BUSP and TSFP, described above, are contributing to this goal, although not in a manner targeted specifically towards enrollment at UC Davis. Graduates of BUSP and TSFP are encouraged to apply to whatever graduate programs best match their scientific interests and personal needs, and therefore contribute to the diversity of the applicant pool for graduate programs, nationwide. (2) Efforts to identify and recruit under-represented minority students to Trainer laboratories, and to the NIH/MCB Training Grant Program. The NIH/MCB Training Grant makes a special effort to invite under-represented students in their first year of graduate school to our annual Retreat, held in October shortly after the beginning of the school year. Our goal is to increase the Training Program's visibility to these new graduate students, and to introduce them to the Training Program faculty, post-doctoral investigators, and students. In this fashion, we have welcomed and encouraged under-represented students to pursue rotations in Trainers' laboratories, and to consider these laboratories as appropriate and supportive environments in which to pursue their doctorates. This past year, the directors of the NIH/MCB Training Grant Program and of the NIH/UC Davis IMSD program have devised a method of synergizing these awards to the advantage of both the students and the programs. The IMSD program, which focuses on outreach to under-represented minorities, will play a central role in identifying prospective graduate students, encouraging their application to UC Davis graduate programs, and supporting these students - financially and by peer-group and faculty mentoring - during their first years of graduate school. The Training Grant will ensure that NIH/MCB Trainers interview the prospective IMSD students, and we will continue our program of inviting the first-year IMSD Fellows to the Retreat. We thereby hope to increase further these students' contact with appropriate Trainer laboratories (for rotations and for dissertation projects), and to help the IMSD Fellows network with the larger campus biological sciences community. We anticipate that this early increased visibility of the NIH/MCB Training Grant will encourage more of these students to join Trainers' labs. (3) Selection of trainees. The Executive Committee of the Training Grant repeatedly communicates to the NIH/MCB Trainers the importance of nominating under-represented students for the award. When under-represented minority students are being considered for Traineeships, the Executive Committee of the NIH/MCB Training Grant Program gives these candidates special attention, recognizing the non-traditional backgrounds and/or differences in access to prior training or education that some of these candidates have had.  Specific effort will be made to consider IMSD Fellows for Trainee positions on the NIH/MCB Training Grant. In some cases, second year IMSD Fellows may compete successfully for positions on the Training Grant, allowing IMSD to use the funds released to create additional slots for incoming students. Thus, IMSD will be freer to "take a chance" on those students with somewhat weaker formal academic backgrounds or with non-traditional career paths. Third and fourth year IMSD students will also be encouraged strongly to apply for training grant positions. The NIH/MCB Training Grant, on the other hand, will be able to raise our visibility to under-represented students, and will have a defined program by which suitable students can be identified early, and strongly encouraged to apply for NIH/MCB Training Grant support. We anticipate that in this fashion, even those students with non-traditional career backgrounds will have a much stronger ability to compete for Traineeships, because they will have had one or two years of intensive skills-building training (IMSD) as well as research experience in a Trainer's laboratory.  First & Second Year Graduate Students - the NIH-IMSD Fellows Program Although the first year of graduate school is an exciting time for students as they expand their knowledge and perspectives, it is also a difficult time of transition. Most newly admitted graduate students are on their own -- learning the ropes, struggling with course work, and competing for financial support and positions in the best research laboratories on campus. Few develop a mentoring relationship with faculty in their first months. In addition, because some Graduate Groups have only limited funding for first- and second- year students (relying heavily on Teaching Assistantships to fund young students), financial support can be a problem until students have selected a major professor and are established in a research laboratory. While being a TA can provide valuable teaching experience, the extensive time commitment required for teaching slows the students' academic progress. Thus, the transition period during the early years of graduate school can be difficult and discouraging, causing a number of students to withdraw from school before selecting a major professor. Under-represented students at UC Davis are more likely to face transition problems because many come from low-income families that are unable to cushion a financial crisis. In addition, some of these students may have inadequate academic preparation requiring considerably more effort in course work and resulting in their being less competitive for choice research laboratory placements. Under-represented students are also more likely to feel isolated because their academic peer group (i.e., the entering class in their graduate group) will have few, if any, other minority students, and they are unlikely to come into contact with minority students from other graduate groups during their first year. To address these problems, an enrichment program was developed for entering graduate students that begins in the summer before graduate school begins and continues throughout the following two academic years. The program has three major goals: (1) to help graduate student participants develop scientific communication skills early in their academic careers; (2) to develop a supportive group culture among IMSD students and faculty; and (3) to ensure that IMSD students will successfully pass their qualifying examinations and advance to candidacy for the Ph.D. Each NIH-IMSD award provides living expenses plus all tuition and student fees for the first two years of graduate school, as well as support during a summer bridge program preceding the first year. The program begins with a summer "bridge" experience that begins in August preceding the first year of graduate school. Summer bridge activities include a seven-week research rotation in the laboratory of a faculty member, weekly group meetings, and interactions between the Fellow and a faculty mentor (independent of the research sponsor). The faculty mentor is not only available for advice, but also helps the Fellow with his or her summer writing assignment, which includes preparation of the research portion of a pre-doctoral fellowship application. Fellows have an opportunity to interact with research experts on campus, learn about campus resources, and hone their presentation skills (both oral and written). Each student gives two oral presentations about their ongoing summer research projects -- one approximately midway through the rotation and one at the end of the summer program. These presentations are critiqued by the other students, as well as by attending faculty. IMSD Fellows report that they have found the summer bridge program to be especially effective in helping them to make the transition to graduate school. The ability to be engaged in research and group activities without being concerned with course work or finances prepares them well for the ensuing academic year. After completion of the summer bridge program, weekly group meetings continue throughout the IMSD Fellows' first academic year. To some degree, these meetings are tailored to the backgrounds of the students. Topics covered include instruction on computer and library search techniques; scientific writing and speaking; group critique of students' written fellowship proposals, abstracts and/or manuscripts; and, reading/discussion of published papers relating to experimental design. First-year Fellows give oral presentations on their research projects, and faculty give presentations on emerging areas in research. Throughout the year, Fellows are advised by a faculty member who is also a member of the program's steering committee. To help the Fellows build on the oral presentation skills developed during the first year and to build cohesion among the Fellows, this program continues into their second year. The advanced students are assisted in preparing for their qualifying exams by making research presentations to the faculty and first-year Fellows. In some cases, second-year students may be supported by alternative funding sources, such as the Training Grant in Molecular and Cellular Biology, or other extramural research grants. The success of these students then releases IMSD funds to be used in support of additional first-year Fellows. Lower Division Undergraduate Students - the BUSP / IMSD Program Increasing the pool of under-represented minority students both interested in and prepared for graduate-level studies in the biomedical sciences is an essential prerequisite to increasing the diversity of the biomedical research workforce. Entering freshmen at a research university such as UC Davis are often overwhelmed by the intensity of the introductory science curriculum. If these students have discouraging experiences in the early science course work, there is a strong possibility that they will change fields, and be lost permanently from the pool of students who might eventually enter biomedical sciences graduate programs. It is therefore essential that efforts be made to identify such students early in their college experience, and to assist and nurture them in their initial experiences with the university-level science curriculum. The Biology Undergraduate Scholars Program (BUSP) at UC Davis, now in its thirteenth year of operation, is a large-scale professional development program for under-represented minority and disadvantaged students interested in biology. The premises of BUSP are that: (1) solid academic preparation and positive experiences early in the undergraduate career provide the foundation on which to build future success; and, (2) excitement about science and interest in scientific careers are best kindled by active early involvement in science. BUSP takes a comprehensive approach to assisting students to thrive at UCD by providing preparatory and supplemental academic instruction in chemistry, calculus and biology; sound academic and personal advising; and, practical experience through employment in research laboratories. The majority of program resources are devoted to the freshman and sophomore years. To date, the program has provided enrichment activities to over 800 students. There are currently over two hundred active BUSP students; eighty percent of them are from under-represented groups. To date, 233 different UCD biology faculty from the Division of Biological Sciences, the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, the Medical School and the School of Veterinary Medicine, have sponsored BUSP students. BUSP students regularly present their research at the UCD Undergraduate Research Conference and at regional and national meetings. To reinforce the pipeline from college to graduate school, we actively encourage BUSP students to attend summer programs at this and other campuses. The program features the following elements. (1) Freshman year, Fall quarter. Students take a rigorous pre-chemistry course, an appropriate math course plus supplemental math coursework, and the BUSP theme course, Biological Sciences (BIS) 11A. BIS 11A ("Issues in Modern Biology") focuses on important topics in biology (e.g., HIV and AIDS) and their scientific, cultural, economic, and global ramifications. As well as serving as a forum for community-building, BIS 11A helps students learn important skills such as team work (the major project for the course features team written and oral presentations), critical and analytical thinking, and hypothesis negation.  (2) Freshman year, Winter and Spring quarters. Students take the first two general chemistry courses, Chemistry 2A (Winter) and 2B (Spring), along with the accompanying supplemental chemistry coursework. They continue their progress in mathematics, assisted by the extra problem-solving experience gained through supplemental math coursework. During the mandatory quarterly advising sessions, the students are strongly encouraged to choose additional courses that feature writing assignments (e.g. English composition). (3) Freshman summer. Students attend the first six-week summer session, enrolling in Chemistry 2C, the last in the general chemistry series, along with a more rigorous accompanying supplemental chemistry course. A recent innovation is the addition of a molecular laboratory skills course to the summer curriculum. By developing their basic lab skills, the BUSP students will be in a much stronger position to undertake constructive participation in undergraduate research projects in individual mentor's laboratories, and thereby enjoy a more meaningful and intense research experience at an earlier stage of the undergraduate career. Participation in laboratory research is a crucial element in developing the commitment to a research career that will carry these students onward to graduate school.   (4) Sophomore year. In keeping with our goal to have students become more independent, BUSP has traditionally been less structured in the sophomore year. Instead of staff-intensive supplemental instruction, the emphasis is on students learning to develop and use study groups effectively. BUSP sophomores enrolled in introductory biology (fall and winter quarters) meet weekly in teaching assistant-facilitated groups to discuss course material, and there is an optional workshop in organic chemistry taught by advanced BUSP students. As well as providing students with supplemental, guided instruction in these important subjects, the workshops reinforce the concept that both learning about and doing science are most effectively accomplished through teamwork. To maintain and reinforce the BUSP scholarly community, there is a year-long seminar course in which sophomore students build their oral and written communication skills in the context of learning about science and science careers. This course also features a community service activity. For the past three years, BUSP students working in teams have served as instructors, mentors and friends to encourage middle school students from a Sacramento middle school to attend college (see photo at right). Many of the younger students are from minority or disadvantaged families, and are unlikely to finish high school, let alone attend college. Because many BUSP students are from similar backgrounds, they are good role models and mentors for the younger students. Such activities not only allow BUSP students to give back to their communities, but also reinforce the concept of using team-work to accomplish a common goal. (5) Junior and senior years. To further stimulate student interest in research careers and to enrich the research experience for our best BUSP-eligible students, we devised BUSP Honors Research (HR) for advanced (junior, senior) student researchers. This is a selective two year, research-based program. During the summer, participants conduct 10 weeks of intensive, faculty-supervised research, and attend a special weekly seminar. During the academic year, students continue their research and meet weekly for the seminar course. This course helps students develop as scientists through skills-building activities (journal club, seminar attendance, oral and written research presentations, attendance at national research meetings, formal GRE preparation courses, curriculum vitae preparation) and career exploration activities (discussions with academic, governmental and industrial research scientists, as well as with criminologists and forensic geneticists; and field trips to various research environments). Workshops in grant proposal writing were added recently. To attract more high-achieving minority student researchers, BUSP HR is open to all BUSP-eligible students, not only those who entered BUSP as freshmen; community college transfer students are especially encouraged to apply. BUSP student Tolulope Olupona (currently in MD program at NYU) presenting a poster at the 1995 Undergraduate Research Conference to BUSP students Roberto Rodriguez (currently in grad school in biology at MIT) and John Perea (currently doing postgraduate research at UC Davis) BUSP students visitingKit Carson middle schoolin Sacramento, California as part of their community service activities during the sophomore year. Conclusions and Impact on the Molecular and Cellular Biology Training Grant Ultimately, the diversity of the training grant membership is dependent on the diversity of the pool of graduate students upon which we draw. At present, there is strong competition among different universities for the limited number of under-represented students who do apply to graduate school. Programs such as BUSP and TSFP, and similar programs at other universities, should lead in the future to increasing levels of diversity in the graduate student applicant pool. UC Davis has had some success in attracting under-represented graduate school applicants in the biological sciences. However, the Training Grant has not been uniformly successful in getting these students to apply for positions in the program. The past two years have been particularly troubling. In 1999/2000, we had 27 nominations for Traineeships (16 Male, 11 Female; 6 self-identified as Asian, 21 as White). In 2000/2001, we had 20 nominations for Traineeships (14 Male, 6 Female; with 6 self-identified as Asian, 14 self-identified as White). As a result, none of our current Trainees are from an under-represented minority group. In response to this disturbing situation, we undertook an analysis of why under-represented students were not being put forward as candidates for training grant membership. The major reason uncovered was that, in essence, we were competing internally with other sources of funding for under-represented students, including support from the NIH/UC Davis Initiative For Minority Development (IMSD) Training Grant, supplemental funding on principal investigators' RO1 grants, and individual Underrepresented Minority Fellowships. Many of these alternative sources of support have financial advantages to the principal investigator's laboratory, or to the student, that the NIH/MCB Training Grant could not match. In some cases, a disincentive for applying to the NIH/MCB Training Grant was simply the "effort" of applying to a new program versus the ease of maintaining the status quo of pre-existing support. The situation shows some sign of improvement as a result of our increased level of interaction with the IMSD program, as discussed above. This year (2001-2002), the applicant pool for the Training Grant includes 2 nominations (out of a total pool of 25) from under-represented minority students, both of whom have participated in the IMSD program, and both of whom are strong candidates for Training Grant support. By increasing the outreach efforts of the Training Grant to under-represented students already on campus, and by continuing and expanding other efforts, such as BUSP and TSFP, we hope to continue to improve the participation of historically under-represented populations in the exciting field of biomedical research in the years ahead. The effect of Proposition 209 on minority support programs in California and the critical role of the NIH-IMSD program. Because it forbids consideration of race or ethnicity in admission to California universities and colleges, California State Proposition 209, which went into effect in 1997, severely limits the methods by which past inequities in educational opportunity can be corrected. Institutionally-funded programs that were once targeted exclusively to under-represented students now must be equally open to all disadvantaged students who are members of the EOP (Educational Opportunities Program) pool, which includes a majority of Asian and Caucasian students (many recent immigrants), as well as under-represented minority students. State or privately-funded programs may no longer specifically select for under-represented minority students. However, because Proposition 209 defers to federal funding, programs having such funding that mandate affirmative action can use race/ethnicity as a selection criterion. Thus, IMSD funding allows us to select directly for under-represented students, thereby maintaining a scholarly community substantially enriched for minority students united by their common interest in biology.  Currently, our IMSD-sponsored undergraduate programs (BUSP and TSFP) are the only federally-funded UC Davis minority support programs exclusively serving life sciences undergraduates. IMSD funds are used to increase the under-represented minority student population in BUSP and TSFP - both of which are also receive major funding from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), as well as support from the Genentech Foundation. Specifically, IMSD funding has allowed us to reserve 20 of the 65 slots in BUSP, 6 of the 12 spots in BUSP Honors Research (BUSP HR), and 6 of the 24 spots in TSFP for under-represented minority students. In addition, portions of the salaries for key personnel (e.g., the BUSP chemistry instructor and the BUSP director) are funded by IMSD.