# Northern Colorado (NoCo) Bridges to the Baccalaureate Research Training Program

> **NIH NIH T34** · COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $205,611

## Abstract

Summary: Northern Colorado Bridge to Baccalaureate (NOCO B2B) traineeship program aims
at increasing participation of underrepresented (UR) students in research careers in behavioral
and biosciences. Each year, a cohort of 10 new trainees will be recruited from Front Range
Community College (FRCC) underrepresented student population who are pursuing transfer to
behavioral and bioscience research programs at Colorado State University (CSU). Trainees will
receive a monthly stipend as they engage in research and scholarship support for two full years
spanning their enrollment at FRCC and CSU. The NOCO B2B traineeship program will provide
a scaffold of academic support services, co-curricular and extra-curricular programming and
mentored-research opportunities to underrepresented Front Range Community College (FRCC)
through a B2B learning community. Trainees will be coached to follow an optimal enrollment
pattern to advance toward completion of a bachelor’s degree in a timely manner via an
articulated pathway for transfer to their major at CSU. Trainees will begin their traineeship at
FRCC the spring semester prior to transfer to CSU and participate in summer research
experiences for undergraduates (REU) at CSU. Scholarships will provide financial support to
allow students to enroll full-time. Stipends will alleviate students’ need for low-wage
employment unrelated to their career path and allow them to focus on their research training.
The program creates continuity between the FRCC and CSU experience through the use of
articulated MAPs, co-enrollment opportunities at CSU prior to transfer, and a transfer learning
community at CSU with social and academic events, and an upper division, 1-credit Transfer
Student Seminar, “Becoming a Scientist.” The cohort-based program allows students to make
strong connections amongst faculty, mentors and peers contributing to retention and
completion. Sixty FRCC UR students will participate in the traineeship program and receive
two years of scholarships and stipend support. 100% of trainees will complete a Summer REU;
100% of the trainee cohort who transfer to CSU will join the Transfer Student Learning
Community and complete the Transfer Student Seminar “Becoming a Scientist;” 75% of trainees
will complete a B.S. degree within three years of transferring; 80% of completers will obtain
employment in a field related to their major or apply to a graduate program in behavioral or
bioscience.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10896459
- **Project number:** 5T34GM137861-05
- **Recipient organization:** COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** PAUL JAMES LAYBOURN
- **Activity code:** T34 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $205,611
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-08-01 → 2025-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10896459

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10896459, Northern Colorado (NoCo) Bridges to the Baccalaureate Research Training Program (5T34GM137861-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10896459. Licensed CC0.

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