# MARC Undergraduate Student Training in Academic Research (U-STAR) NC A&T

> **NIH NIH T34** · NORTH CAROLINA AGRI & TECH ST UNIV · 2022 · $446,347

## Abstract

Abstract. As the largest public HBCU in the nation, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
(NC A&T) trains a large number of underrepresented minority (URM) students in STEM. Through strategic
planning aligned with NC A&T’s Pre-eminence 2020, there has been tremendous transformation of the
research infrastructure at the university, including the hiring of talented new faculty with research programs in
the biomedical sciences. This has created an environment that is highly conducive to the mentoring of students
at all levels. The current MARC U-STAR program has leveraged the existing infrastructure to enhance the
training of MARC Scholars. With university support, the MARC program has 1) created cross disciplinary
teams of faculty mentors in participating departments at NC A&T; 2) designed courses that offer authentic
research experiences in the classroom; 3) developed academic enhancement activities; and 4) developed
professional development programs for MARC Scholars. These initiatives, coupled with feedback from a
program evaluator and an advisory board consisting of faculty mentors and MARC alumni, have ensured that
the program has continued to evolve in a manner that is responsive to the needs of the students while
incorporating new ideas to advance the goals of the program. As a result, over 70% of MARC Scholars have
enrolled in PhD programs at R1 institutions with a >70% retention rate over the last 5 years.
 In the current MARC U-STAR renewal application, we seek to build on the successes of the past 9
years through the continued development of the MARC U-STAR Scholars program at NC A&T. The NC A&T
MARC U-STAR program will provide integrated academic and research training experiences for 36 highly
competitive students who are committed to obtaining doctoral degrees in the biomedical sciences. To recruit
talented, highly motivated students to the program, we have developed a robust strategy that leverages
existing resources to broaden the pool of students interested in biomedical research. This strategy, which
builds upon recent initiatives to integrate course-based research opportunities into key 100- and 200-level
courses in the Biology and Chemistry curricula, is designed both to identify students who are intrinsically
motivated and to inspire them to consider careers in research.
 MARC Scholars will benefit from initiatives designed to promote their academic success and their
development as researchers. The MARC U-STAR program has 3 objectives: 1) To help MARC scholars
develop and sustain records of academic excellence through participation in targeted academic enrichment
and academic support programs; 2) To promote continuous advancement in the research competency of
MARC Scholars through participation in progressively enhanced research training experiences; and 3) To
develop critical thinking and communication skills among MARC scholars through engagement with the
primary biomedical research literature and effectiv...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10412047
- **Project number:** 5T34GM083980-15
- **Recipient organization:** NORTH CAROLINA AGRI & TECH ST UNIV
- **Principal Investigator:** Checo James Rorie
- **Activity code:** T34 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $446,347
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2008-06-01 → 2025-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10412047

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10412047, MARC Undergraduate Student Training in Academic Research (U-STAR) NC A&T (5T34GM083980-15). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10412047. Licensed CC0.

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