# MARC Biomedical Research and Training Program at the University of Arizona

> **NIH NIH T34** · UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA · 2021 · $477,534

## Abstract

The University of Arizona (UA) MARC program provides unique research, mentoring, financial, and academic
opportunities to upper-division underrepresented students who have interest and potential to pursue
biomedical research careers, seeks to increase the number of such students entering Ph.D. programs, and
provides opportunities to engage lower-division students and help them achieve a solid academic foundation.
The specific objectives are 1) to attract 150 new students per year to participate in outreach activities 2) to
decrease the number of students withdrawing or earning a D or lower in General Chemistry from 25% to below
20% and set a foundation for success in STEM courses 3) to have 85% of MARC trainees who enter, as of
June 2017, and complete the MARC program matriculate in PhD programs or combined-PhD programs. UA
MARC trainees, 16 per year, are a select group of honors underrepresented students from biomedically-
relevant majors in 5 colleges throughout the UA campus. Outstanding, well-funded training faculty at the UA
provide opportunities for research guidance and intensive mentoring using their training experience with
undergraduates and commitment to training underrepresented students. Significant mentoring also is provided
by the Program Director and co-Directors. Through the Minority Biomedical Research Colloquium, trainees
meet outstanding scientists from other institutions as well as former UA MARC trainees in Ph.D. programs or
Ph.D. graduates. Trainees attend workshops on responsible conduct of research and minority health
disparities; take part in a scientific writing program; attend national science meetings; participate in intramural
and extramural research; present posters at campus and national conferences; give oral presentations in the
Research Colloquium, and attend workshops on the graduate application process. The outreach activities of
the UA MARC program that impact a large number of students include a Careers in Math and Science
Colloquium for incoming freshmen; a research colloquium for undergraduate students in biomedically-relevant
majors; supplemental instruction in general chemistry, which gives students a solid foundation in a course that
impacts numerous biomedically-relevant majors; and a new foundational course that promotes critical thinking
skills and mathematical reasoning to increase the success of students in STEM majors. The UA MARC trainee
program is selective, prestigious and the “carrot” that encourages lower-division underrepresented students to
do well academically, and the conduit that prepares outstanding underrepresented students to pursue careers
in biomedical research.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10149329
- **Project number:** 5T34GM008718-23
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
- **Principal Investigator:** Katrina M. Miranda
- **Activity code:** T34 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $477,534
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1999-06-01 → 2023-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10149329

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10149329, MARC Biomedical Research and Training Program at the University of Arizona (5T34GM008718-23). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10149329. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*