Project Summary The goal of this short-term research training program is to utilize research training opportunities in the areas of cardiovascular, pulmonary, hematologic, and sleep disorders to increase the readiness and competitiveness of students traditionally underrepresented in these areas as they train for and enter careers in the biomedical research workforce. The limited pool of qualified UR groups applying to graduate programs points to a clear need for focused mentorship and training for students from UR groups as they prepare for graduate training. To address this need, Brown University requests a competitive renewal of NIH NHLBI funding for the Short-Term Training Program to Increase Diversity in Health-Related Research to permit 17 UR undergraduate students per year to participate in an intensive 9-week summer research training experience with exposure to multidisciplinary research directly related to cardiovascular, pulmonary, hematologic, and sleep disorders. This will be achieved by creating immersive learning environments inside and outside the lab. Selected students are paired with faculty sponsors for training in the lab and interact with peer and faculty mentors in other academic settings. The specific aims of this program are: a) Enhance the scientific education and research skills of its participants; b) Instill self-affirming practices in participants of this program who, in turn, will model this success to their peers; c) Initiate the process by which participants become life-long learners by helping them to develop the skills and habits of scientists and scholars; d) New Initiative: Foster a continuity of mentorship and training to support the progression of underrepresented students along PhD and MD-PhD training pathways and into the biomedical workforce; e) New Initiative: Expose underrepresented students to research and role models to increase their competitiveness for PhD or MD-PhD training programs. This project builds on our previous successes and fortifies efforts to increase the ranks of underrepresented scholars in doctoral programs and the scientific workforce.