The Cumberland Bridge to Rowan (CB2R) plan is a distinctive, multilayered research education program in biomedical sciences to increase the pool of students from diverse backgrounds entering biomedical careers that is based on the assessed needs of its partnering institutions. The program is deliberately designed to support the NIH’s goals of increasing the diversity and improving the quality, perspective, and creativity of the biomedical workforce by pairing a well- regarded, highly diverse county college in an impoverished county with a robust and growing research university in a wealthier area seeking to diversify its own student body. CB2R’s goals are to enhance the pool of talented, low-income UR students at RCSJ who successfully transfer to RU and complete their baccalaureate degrees. These goals are supported by the CB2R plan to: ● Promote low-income students’ participation in research through stipend and tuition support. ● Provide academic, advising, and mentoring support to community college and transfer students. ● Support community college students’ development of scientific and quantitative skills. ● Engage students in microbiology and bioinformatic research at the community college and provide diverse research opportunities at the university. ● Provide articulated academic programming and customized transfer activities designed to decrease students’ time to completion; greatly improve their skills preparation; and ensure their academic success and progress toward graduate programs and/or the biomedical research workforce. ● Develop a culture of research at the community college level and strengthen collaborative relationships among community college and university colleagues. Overall, the CB2R partnership between Rowan University and Rowan College South Jersey- Cumberland will strive to increase the retention of underrepresented, low-income RCSJ Biomedical Science students graduating with an associate degree and increase transfer of underrepresented, low-income RCSJ Biomedical Science students to RU as it prepares trainees to enter the biomedical workforce.