# MARC U-STAR PROGRAM AT WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS

> **NIH NIH T34** · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $87,570

## Abstract

Abstract: Through the parent MARC U-STAR grant and its affiliated programs and activities, we have built a
strong pathway for UR students to succeed in research and STEM classes at Washington University (WashU)
and to pursue their research interests upon college graduation in graduate school and MD-PhD programs. There
is however one key gap in our training in this pathway – sophomore year. Currently, we lack any structured,
research-based programming for UR students during the sophomore year. It is critical to fill this gap, as
sophomore year is a pivotal time in the academic career of college students: Most of them choose their academic
major at the end of the sophomore year. And, once students choose a major, almost all students retain that
major through graduation, as student retention in a declared science major exceeds 95% for both UR and
well-represented (WR) students at WashU. Despite this success, we observe that two-fold as many UR
students versus WR students migrate away from their intended STEM major during the first two years of
college. Our gap in research-focused programming for UR students then aligns with the timing of when the
vast majority of UR students leave their expected science major. The goal of this proposal is to fill this gap
in training through creation of the Next Generation Science Scholars Program – a sophomore year cohort-
and research-based program – in order to retain an ever-increasing number of UR students in intended
STEM majors and drive their success in research, college, and beyond.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10605656
- **Project number:** 3T34GM141639-02S1
- **Recipient organization:** WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** James Benjamin Skeath
- **Activity code:** T34 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $87,570
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2021-06-01 → 2026-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10605656

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10605656, MARC U-STAR PROGRAM AT WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS (3T34GM141639-02S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10605656. Licensed CC0.

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