# Inquiry-Based Human Microbiome for Undergraduates in Distance Learning

> **NIH NIH T34** · SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $86,400

## Abstract

Administrative Supplement: Curriculum or Training Modules to Enhance Undergraduate
 Biomedical Research Training (NOT-GM-20-019)
Title: Inquiry-Based Human Microbiome for Undergraduates in Distance Learning
ABSTRACT (from the funded parent award: MARC U-STAR GM008253-32)
The SJSU MARC U-STAR program has been committed to support underrepresented students
for nearly 30 years. As the new Program Director, Dr. Cleber Costa Ouverney, has inherited a
dedicated cohort of trainees, a highly motivated group of mentors, and a committed
administrative staff who endorse the mission of this prestigious NIGMS program in its entirety.
Of the 167 trainees who have graduated from the program since 1988, 97% graduated with a
BA/BS degree and 60% continued into a post baccalaureate degree (MS, PhD, or MD/PhD). The
number of PhD-seeking trainees from our program has continuously increased over the six
cycles of funding and we have 67 trainees who are either enrolled or have earned their PhD/MD-
PhD degree. Nonetheless, areas of improvement to our program have been identified by the
former PD (Dr. Leslee Parr), Dr. Ouverney, and the program evaluator and we address these
improvements in this renewal application. Overall, this proposal combines goals that will retain
the strengths the program has accumulated over decades while enhancing the recruitment and
training of MARC trainees, while better tracking our MARC fellows' accomplishments for years
to come. For instance, we included innovative approaches that establish collaborative work with
the IRACDA postdocs from Stanford University who will provide additional mentoring to our
trainees about various aspects of research projects, research presentation skills, and preparation
of applications to graduate school. Our strong network with Summer Research Programs will
serve as a bridge to our trainees to identify laboratories to conduct their summer research
experience. We also propose to increase visibility of the program in our communities and have
started to give talks at local school serving a large number of URM students about the
opportunities for research training at SJSU, such as MARC, RISE and LSAMP programs. The
strength of this program makes us certain that we can support a larger cohort of students and we
are requesting an increase of MARC trainees from 9 to 12. A recent increase in hiring of faculty
STEM tenure-track faculty and an increase in grants in the MARC hosting departments have
made many new laboratories ready to host more MARC students.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10193848
- **Project number:** 3T34GM008253-33S1
- **Recipient organization:** SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Cleber Costa Ouverney
- **Activity code:** T34 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $86,400
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2020-06-01 → 2021-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10193848

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10193848, Inquiry-Based Human Microbiome for Undergraduates in Distance Learning (3T34GM008253-33S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10193848. Licensed CC0.

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