# MARC at Washington State University

> **NIH NIH T34** · WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $296,954

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
MARC-WSU increases the diversity of the biomedical workforce by providing meritorious trainees from
backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in STEM with the tools and experiences needed to complete their
undergraduate degrees, matriculate into a graduate program, and pursue a career in biomedical research.
Increasing the diversity of the biomedical workforce is the first step in investigating health disparities across
America and providing innovative, effective solutions. MARC-WSU will provide a supportive environment that
will inspire, enable, and empower these trainees to succeed as future leaders in biomedical research.
Specifically, this program gives trainees the skills, self-efficacy, and cultural acumen to overcome systemic
obstacles and flourish in the biomedical workforce. MARC-WSU will achieve these outcomes by:
1. Building community through a network of mentoring and advising relationships that support the trainees'
 diverse academic and career goals.
2. Increasing trainees' knowledge of the culture of biomedical research through research skills courses,
 mentoring, and professional development workshops.
3. Supporting the development of trainees' academic and career goals, science identity, resilience and
 confidence as a professional.
4. Incorporating the trainees' own career goals and values system into the research experience.
5. Enhancing trainees' self-efficacy through independent work, leadership, and peer teaching.
6. Improving trainees' oral communication, scientific writing, and scientific presentation skills.
7. Instructing trainees in safe and ethical laboratory practices, project management skills, hypothesis-driven
 experimental design, and rigorous data analysis.
8. Integrating knowledge from the classroom and the research experience to develop scientific understanding
 and critical thinking skills.
9. Enriching the research experience with attendance and presentations at local and national symposiums.
10. Expanding the number of underrepresented trainees applying to and matriculating into biomedical PhD
programs.
The MARC-WSU program will measure success using individual student progress in critical thinking, writing,
and speaking skills, completion of advanced coursework in the sciences and engineering, the cultivation and
practice of research skills, and the matriculation of MARC-WSU trainees into doctoral-level programs in the
biomedical sciences, with successful careers beyond the completion of the PhD. The progression of MARC-
WSU trainees into biomedical careers represents a pathway for increased diversity of the biomedical
workforce, and consequently for improved wellbeing of underserved communities across the nation.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10860933
- **Project number:** 5T34GM141971-04
- **Recipient organization:** WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Samantha Gizerian
- **Activity code:** T34 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $296,954
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-06-01 → 2026-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10860933

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10860933, MARC at Washington State University (5T34GM141971-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10860933. Licensed CC0.

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