# UC Denver MARC U*STAR Scholars Program Supplement

> **NIH NIH T34** · UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER · 2021 · $86,370

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
As the United States becomes more diverse, it is imperative that institutions of higher education accelerate their efforts to
ensure equity in the number of doctoral degrees awarded to students who are members of underrepresented (UR) groups.
The University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver) is committed to this goal, and uniquely situated culturally and
geographically to meet this need. The CU Denver campus is consolidated with the Anschutz Medical Campus (Anschutz)
and, together, is classified as a “Doctoral University: Higher Research Activity”, with more than $400 million in annual
sponsored research funding. As such, CU Denver is the only urban public research university in the State of Colorado, and
it has the most diverse student body of any University of Colorado campus. In 2016, at least 34% of entering freshmen
identified as underrepresented minority (URM) students and at least 57% as students of color. CU Denver was awarded its
first MARC U-STAR award on May 22, 2013 (NIGMS T34 GM096958; 2013-2018), and is one of only two in the state.
CU Denver was awarded a competing renewal in 2016. The renewal expanded the successful initial development of the
CU Denver MARC U-STAR program to support 20 additional rising junior undergraduates (four new scholars per year)
majoring in Integrative Biology, Chemistry, Psychology, and Public Health. The CU Denver MARC program complements
and extends other training programs at CU Denver and Anschutz, expanding an institutional culture that supports the
success of UR students and their entrance into doctoral programs in the biomedical sciences. One unique aspect of the CU
Denver MARC U-STAR program is a partnership with the CU Denver Clinical Health Psychology (CHP) program.
Through this partnership, we have retained an advanced CHP doctoral student to serve as a wellness point-person for our
scholars. This doctoral level student addresses threats to wellness and resiliency on multiple levels using preventative, in-
vivo, and follow-up communication aimed at detecting scholar distress and building adaptive copings skills to mitigate
distress for our scholars. This supplement aims to adapt this evidence-based program to be more culturally-responsive
through a formative needs assessment (barriers impacting scholars, supports needed, self-advocacy skill development) and
integration of new learning with the wellness and resiliency program. Culturally-responsive wellness and resiliency
training can provide minoritized scholars with knowledge and skills necessary to successfully navigate academic adversity
and discrimination with self-advocacy and resilience. These efforts, together with outstanding academic and research
training and a culture of support for diversity and inclusion, will help the CU Denver MARC U-STAR program continue to
meet the overarching MARC program goal that at least 90% of supported students graduate with a STEM degree and at
least 60% matriculate into Ph.D. (or combined M.D....

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10393993
- **Project number:** 3T34GM096958-09S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER
- **Principal Investigator:** RICHARD M ALLEN
- **Activity code:** T34 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $86,370
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2013-06-01 → 2023-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10393993

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10393993, UC Denver MARC U*STAR Scholars Program Supplement (3T34GM096958-09S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10393993. Licensed CC0.

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