# MARC U*STAR at Florida International University

> **NIH NIH T34** · FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $249,210

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
The proposed MARC at Florida International University (FIU) program is designed to address the national
deficit of diversity in the biomedical workforce. While it will certainly teach practical, career enhancing skills, it
will also address these in the context of often overlooked, underlying challenges such as social capital, STEM
identity, and sense of belonging in STEM research, to demonstrate biomedical research as a rewarding
career. FIU is a public, research institution (R1 Carnegie Classification Doctoral University - Highest
Research Activity) located in Miami, Florida. It has an enrollment of 54,000 students (fall 2021), is designated
an Hispanic Serving Institution (85% Hispanic, Black, or other minoritized groups), emphasizes research in its
mission and includes health and diversity as strategic themes. The mission of the MARC U*STAR Program is
to enhance the pool of UR students earning baccalaureate and Ph.D. degrees in biomedical research fields
and to contribute to the diversification of the nation’s scientific workforce. Therefore, our vision is to provide a
structured training program to prepare high achieving underrepresented students for Doctoral Programs in
biomedical research fields. We will achieve this by providing authentic research experiences, academic
enhancements, skill development, and close mentoring and advising. The program provides motivated,
honors undergraduate juniors and seniors from underrepresented groups with tools, skills, and a sense of
belonging, that will allow each to successfully enter, excel in, and complete a biomedical or behavioral
sciences Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. program. This will be accomplished by immersing each MARC trainee in a
supportive and stimulating research lab of an active researcher with a successful undergraduate mentoring
record, who will develop the individual student’s skills, and properly nurture and enhance the trainee’s interest
in science over a two-year period, culminating with an honors thesis. The MARC program will provide a
monthly stipend and partial tuition waiver, eliminating the need for trainees to seek outside employment and
enable them to focus on their research projects and enrichment activities. The program will supplement the
trainees’ FIU academic year research experience with personal advising, weekly program meetings which
emphasize holistic wellness, professional & academic development, technical skills, travel to scientific
meetings, presentation venues, networking opportunities, leadership opportunities, community outreach
events, and facilitiate participation in an extramural summer research program. Six trainees will be selected
each year from targeted departments including Biology, Chemistry, Psychology and Biomedical Engineering.
Each year, the six seniors will serve as peer mentors to the six incoming juniors (12 total slots) - a key
element to building their network, enhancing their mentoring, building their self-identity as a scientist, and
most...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10864350
- **Project number:** 1T34GM154122-01
- **Recipient organization:** FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** DeEtta K Mills
- **Activity code:** T34 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $249,210
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-06-01 → 2025-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10864350

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10864350, MARC U*STAR at Florida International University (1T34GM154122-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10864350. Licensed CC0.

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