# MARC U-STAR Leaders in Science Program

> **NIH NIH T34** · MOREHOUSE COLLEGE · 2021 · $258,596

## Abstract

PROGRAM SUMMARY
The goals of the MARC U-STAR program at Morehouse College are to (1) increase the number
of Morehouse College STEM majors who enter PhD or MD-PhD programs within three years
of attaining their bachelor's degree, (2) enhance the curriculum in the Division of Science
and Mathematics, and (3) create a Research Community at Morehouse College. We believe
that the combination of research training, mentoring, academic enhancement and professional
development will result in Leaders in Science. The MARC U-STAR Leaders in Science
Program emphasizes the incorporation of quantitative sciences and biology into an
interdisciplinary course of study, the integration of service-learning into instruction, and the
implementation of a MARC Scholars Program that provides academic year and summer research
training and mentoring, which prepare students for graduate study in the biomedical sciences. This
program is designed to provide advanced and specialized training for a small cohort of exceptional
STEM students at Morehouse College, thereby improving the readiness of its scholars to
successfully complete the PhD, begin research careers in the biomedical sciences, and, ultimately,
become leaders in science. Since its inception in 2011, our program has appointed 26 trainees, 18
have graduated, 5 are rising seniors and will continue their matriculation as MARC scholars, and 3
are no longer in the MARC program but are completing their degree requirements and are
projected to graduate in May 2017. Of the 14 trainees who completed the 2-year training program
and graduated: 7 are in PhD programs, 3 are in MSTPs, 2 are employed in a STEM-related
position, 1 is in a master's to PhD bridge program and 1 is in medical school. Recent reports have
identified African-American males as being the most underrepresented ethnic group in STEM
careers. The Morehouse College MARC U-STAR Leaders in Science Program is at the vanguard
of a movement to combat this disparity – 100% of our graduates are pursuing careers in the
biomedical and related science fields. Due to this overwhelming success, the program proposes to
continue training undergraduate STEM majors at Morehouse College by building on its strengths
and adding new initiatives. For the upcoming project period, the MARC U-STAR Leaders in
Science program will focus on: Mentoring, Academic enhancement, Research training, and
Community building. The proposed activities are designed not only to meet the goal of
increasing the number of students from underrepresented groups seeking PhDs in biomedical
fields, but also to enhance the students' communication skills, enhance the curriculum in the
Division of Science and Mathematics, and serve as the catalyst for the development of a research
community at Morehouse College. These programmatic activities are designed to meet the
specific aims of the MARC U-STAR Leaders in Science program, which are to SA-1) Increase
exposure to and competency for engaging in biomedical resear...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10165736
- **Project number:** 5T34GM096954-10
- **Recipient organization:** MOREHOUSE COLLEGE
- **Principal Investigator:** Triscia Wharton Hendrickson
- **Activity code:** T34 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $258,596
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2011-08-08 → 2023-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10165736

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10165736, MARC U-STAR Leaders in Science Program (5T34GM096954-10). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-29 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10165736. Licensed CC0.

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