ABSTRACT The University of North Carolina Charlotte will partner with Gaston College and Rowan- Cabarrus Community College to implement the proposed NIH R25 Bridges to Baccalaureate Program to promote UR student success in obtaining a biomedical sciences degree and being competitive post-graduation. Low retention and graduation rates at the community colleges indicate that few students can begin their college careers at community colleges and earn a B.S. in biomedical sciences. Overall, the three institutions will identify and remediate multiple attrition points and work to increase the viability of the community college-to-UNC Charlotte biomedical sciences B.S. degree transfer pathway. The Program will aid a total of 50 student participants from community college partners Gaston College and Rowan-Cabarrus Community College in obtaining an A.A. or A.S. degree and then to transfer into, and graduate from, UNC Charlotte with a B.S. in the biomedical sciences. This Program will address the needs of academically qualified students to foster success. First, to promote preparedness and achievement in academic curricula, students will receive intense academic advising and “degree maps”, individualized mentorship, cohort learning, and embedded course tutoring at the community college and university institutions. Second, to promote preparedness and achievement for biomedical sciences research careers, students will conduct independent research projects with faculty at the community college and later at UNC Charlotte. Research at UNC Charlotte will include both full-time summer and academic term independent research in a laboratory conducting cutting- edge biomedical sciences research. These experiences will culminate in poster and oral presentations both on campus and at national scientific meetings as well as opportunities to publish in peer-reviewed journals. Third, to promote a sense of inclusion and understanding of how biomedical sciences fit in the broader community context, students will be paired with senior student mentors at the university level, attend regional networking events for biomedical professionals, participate in professional development workshops, and take courses in bioethics. !