PROJECT SUMMARY This proposal seeks external funding for a recently launched internship program for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) undergraduate students interested in a biomedical career related to improving kidney health. Our program, named the Haumana 'O Pasifika program by our inaugural class of 8 Haumana (Hawaiian for "student") Scholars, aims to help outstanding NHPI undergraduates achieve their goals of becoming the next generation of nurses, physician assistants, physicians, and scientists by provide research experience, clinical exposure, career development, and community outreach over the course of a 12-week summer program. NHPI face significant health disparities. These include chronic kidney disease (CKD), diabetes, obesity, infant mortality, Alzheimer's Disease, and renal cancer. The lack of NHPI representation in health professions contributes, in part, to health disparities observed in these communities. End stage renal disease (ESRD) is the most illustrative example of a health disparity in NHPI communities. As compared to Americans who identify as White, the incidence rates of ESRD are 3-fold higher in African Americans and 8.4-fold higher for Pacific Islanders. Diabetes is the most common cause of ESRD in NHPI, with incident rates nearly double those of African Americans, Latinos and Native Americans, populations that are widely known to be at elevated risk for diabetes. Eliminating diabetes and kidney health disparities among NHPI are established goals of the NHPI community. Our community leaders have defined a significant need to increase NHPI representation in the biomedical workforce as a critical step in eliminating such health disparities. Indeed, while 1.9% of Utahns are NHPI, only 3 of our >1,400 board-certified physicians at the University of Utah (U of U) self-identify as NHPI. With overwhelming support from U of U administration, colleagues, and community leaders, we created and implemented the Haumana 'O Pasifika Program, a 12-week summer research internship which provides: i) hands-on research experience (basic, clinical, and translational) with established scientists; ii) professional and career development; iii) clinical shadowing; iv) cultural mentoring; and v) community outreach. With NIH support, we aim to continue annual research experiences and educational training in kidney disease (with an emphasis on diabetes-related kidney disease) through the Haumana ‘O Pasifika Program. We will: 1) Execute a summer research internship centered on kidney health for NHPI undergraduates that includes comprehensive and life-long academic, career, and educational support through mentored research and the development of a strong, supportive cohort experience; 2) Engage Haumana 'O Pasifika Scholars in outreach with Utah's vibrant NHPI community; and 3) Evaluate the effectiveness of the Haumana 'O Pasifika Program on increasing NHPI representation in STEM careers and the nephrology-related biomedical workforce.