# U-RISE at Queens College, CUNY

> **NIH NIH T34** · QUEENS COLLEGE · 2024 · $267,523

## Abstract

U-RISE at Queens College, CUNY, Project Summary
Despite advances in recent years, demographical data shows that underrepresented minorities
continue to lag behind their Caucasian contemporaries in various STEM disciplines, both in terms
of graduate degree completion and in terms of academic publications. Although the need for
diversity in STEM is heralded, the means by which to accomplish this objective remains unclear,
with initiatives implemented in graduate schools being too late to affect change.
This grant requests support for Undergraduate Research Training Initiative for Student
Enhancement (U-RISE) for Queens College (QC) at the City University of New York (CUNY). QC
is a public university situated within the single most ethnically diverse region in the country. In
servicing the borough of Queens, QC is a leader within the state and ranked fourth in the country
for social mobility. QC has held an NIH Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) that has
trained 116 students over 18 years in the biomedical sciences. Due to recent changes in QC's
eligibility for MARC granting, we aim to leverage the current momentum to implement a U-RISE
funding mechanism to support its existing training infrastructure for underrepresented
undergraduates in biomedical research programs. QC also supports a vibrant research
community of investigators with research programs funded by the NIH/ARO/NSF that span a
range of disciplines intersecting with biomedical sciences. In this grant, we have identified faculty
mentors dedicated to training undergraduates, a track record of advancing them to research-
intensive careers, and a sincere commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) values. This
effort is further supported by QC’s administration which intends to institutionalize undergraduate
training in biomedical research through curricular offerings (formalized courses), professional
development, ethics, and DEI workshops open to the broader QC undergraduate community.
This U-RISE grant will continue to support the legacy established through NIH MARC U-STAR
funding for community stakeholders by providing advanced research and professional
development training to U-RISE students, as well as enhancing the research environment at
Queens College as a whole, thereby affecting change for the many talented and diverse students
who entrust us with their career success.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10823242
- **Project number:** 5T34GM149475-02
- **Recipient organization:** QUEENS COLLEGE
- **Principal Investigator:** Sebastian Gaston Alvarado
- **Activity code:** T34 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $267,523
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-04-06 → 2028-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10823242

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10823242, U-RISE at Queens College, CUNY (5T34GM149475-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10823242. Licensed CC0.

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