# UCSC Research Mentoring Internship Program: An Initiative to Increase Diversity and Inclusion in Genomics Research

> **NIH NIH R25** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SANTA CRUZ · 2023 · $324,000

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
The UCSC Diversity Action Plan at the University of California, Santa Cruz is known as the Research
Mentoring Internship Program (RMI), a research education program that improves equity and access to
careers in genomic science. Our specific aims are to recruit and retain a full cohort of 14 trainees per year who
meet NIH criteria in terms of underrepresentation; to inspire trainees to pursue genomics-focused careers by
fostering a community of scholars focused on genomics research and relevant ELSI investigations; to
supplement research training with a robust curriculum of professional development activities; and to ensure
that 80% or more of our graduating trainees take steps toward the next academic or career level. The RMI
program provides mentored research training and financial support for underrepresented minority (URM)
undergraduate students, students from low-income households, students with disabilities,
first-generation-to-college students, and students who have otherwise been minoritized by systemic
discrimination. Our mission is to prepare and advance our students toward successful careers in genomics
research or in fields that interrogate the ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) of genomics. Students
supported by the RMI are assigned to a faculty research mentor with whom they train 10-15 hours per week
during the academic year, and up to 40 hours per week during summer. Mentor labs may be in any
department, provided that the research focuses on some aspect of genomic sciences. STEM research
environments may be wet labs or computational labs; ELSI projects are usually conducted under the aegis of a
faculty member from the Division of Social Sciences, and commonly approach a specific aspect of genomics in
one of the following areas: bioethics, policy, health care, social implications. The RMI provides financial support
in the form of quarterly subsistence payments. In addition to research training, the program offers academic
and professional development workshops, one-on-one coaching, career guidance, and near-peer mentoring.
The RMI exposes students to the culture and rigors of a research environment under the supervision of a
faculty mentor and with the support of an extended mentor network, thus enhancing preparation for and
success in graduate school and beyond. In addition to recruiting from the diverse student population of our own
campus (designated a Hispanic Serving Institution), we recruit prospective transfer students from regional
community colleges that have high percentages of students from BBIPOC (Brown, Black, Indigenous, and
People of Color), low-income, and underserved populations. To ensure successful persistence to degree
completion, we implement retention strategies based on best practices to create professional support and
programming and an expanded mentor network within a cutting-edge research environment that provides our
cohort with the knowledge, tools, and confidence needed to advance to...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10555786
- **Project number:** 2R25HG006836-10
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SANTA CRUZ
- **Principal Investigator:** Angela Norie Brooks
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $324,000
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2013-07-01 → 2026-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10555786

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10555786, UCSC Research Mentoring Internship Program: An Initiative to Increase Diversity and Inclusion in Genomics Research (2R25HG006836-10). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10555786. Licensed CC0.

---

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