Project Summary/Abstract Academic enrichment opportunities supporting the development of critical biomedical research skills are not widely available to college students from low-income and underrepresented minority (URM) backgrounds. This is particularly problematic for infectious disease research since infectious diseases disproportionately impact communities of color. In short, the current training system all but excludes the individuals who have the most relevant lived experiences and are among the greatest stakeholders from key decision-making roles, which has been shown to negatively affect public health. The lack of diversity at the highest levels has recently garnered more attention—with many people pointing to a “leaky” pipeline for URM education and training. One key “leak” that has received relatively little attention despite its enormous impact on URM student participation is the transition from community colleges to four-year universities. With very few opportunities for specialized training or research experience at community colleges, a vast majority of URM students at these institutions do not pursue education beyond an associate’s degree. More than 40% of the total URM collegiate student population is lost at this two- to four-year university transition. This partnership between investigators at Rice University and Houston Community College (HCC) will begin “plugging” this leak by providing auxiliary professional, technical, and experiential support for URM students enrolled at HCC—a Minority-Serving Institution that is also the fifth- largest community college system in the United States. Importantly, this program will not only support URM students through their transfer to a four-year university but also provide career-long mentorship to minimize drop- out at higher levels of education and training. This program aims to Augment Community College Education, Leverage Experiential Research, and Advance Training Equity (ACCELERATE) by recruiting, training, and supporting diverse cohorts of biology and engineering students on the path to four-year universities, graduate studies, and high-level job placement in the infectious disease workforce. Our program includes professional development seminars; literature review training; a high-touch series of scaffolded laboratory modules for technical skill-building; mentored summer research internships in labs at Rice University and the Texas Medical Center (TMC); multi-tiered concurrent mentorship from the Program PIs, HCC faculty, TMC investigators, and Rice postdocs and graduate students; and career development resources for HCC faculty who wish to become research active. Through these initiatives, we will enhance students’ skills and knowledge, assist students in building mentor and peer networks to build resilience and foster a sense of belonging, equip students with the professional savvy necessary to pursue a career in biomedical research, support students’ applications to transfer to...