# EMCC-MSU Bridges to Baccalaureate Degree Program

> **NIH NIH R25** · MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $254,580

## Abstract

Summary
The EMCC-MSU Bridges to Baccalaureate program is a partnership between Mississippi State University (MSU)
and East Mississippi Community College (EMCC). This collaboration provides research experiences,
supplementary learning activities, and career guidance for underrepresented minority (URM) and economically
disadvantaged (ED) students as they work towards a baccalaureate degree in the biomedical or behavioral
sciences. The primary goal of the program is to increase the numbers of students from the targeted backgrounds
who successfully obtain a four-year degree in a biomedical/behavioral field. Secondary goals are to increase the
number of students from this population who will seek advanced degrees in these fields and who seek
employment as biomedical/behavioral researchers. The EMCC-MSU Bridges program is located in a rural region
of Mississippi with large African American and impoverished populations as well as an abundance of health
disparities and paucity of medical researchers. However, this regions has also recently shown promising signs
for an economic recovery. Therefore, the EMCC-MSU Bridges program is in an ideal position to recruit from the
URM and ED student population at EMCC early during the first year of college and encourage participation
through a Biomedical Skills Boot Camp and through MSU faculty research seminars. Applicants from URM and
ED backgrounds are selected on a competitive basis and immediately begin receiving supplemental career
advising that will continue through their senior years along with access to online tutoring services for gateway
science courses. Selected EMCC students then attend a ten-week Summer Research Experiences paid
internship in a faculty-mentored research setting at MSU. The summer program includes weekly supplemental
courses targeting the improvement of study skills, professionalism, communication and basic science skills.
Weekly active learning workshops will also be included in the summer program at MSU along with journal club-
style seminars addressing current science topics and responsible conduct in research. Paid research
experiences then continue for one year after transfer to MSU for select trainees, and trainees will be encouraged
to continue their research for a fourth year through one of MSU's internal funding mechanisms for undergraduate
researchers or through course credit for independent study. In either case, career navigation assistance is
continued until each student graduates. Yearly trainee competition in an undergraduate research symposium at
MSU in encouraged and the program also supports student travel to national conferences for presenting their
Bridges supported-research.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10016357
- **Project number:** 5R25GM123920-03
- **Recipient organization:** MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Jairus Johnson
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $254,580
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-05 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10016357

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10016357, EMCC-MSU Bridges to Baccalaureate Degree Program (5R25GM123920-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10016357. Licensed CC0.

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