# UNC Greensboro MARC USTAR Engage, Sustain, and Prepare

> **NIH NIH T34** · UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA GREENSBORO · 2020 · $311,861

## Abstract

Summary: The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) MARC U-STAR will be a comprehensive
undergraduate training program addressing the need to increase the diversity of students pursuing graduate studies in
biomedical research and careers in the NIH-funded research workforce. The long-term goal is to increase the number of
UNCG students from underrepresented (UR) and/or disadvantaged backgrounds successfully completing
graduate training in biomedical or behavioral health sciences. To reach this goal the UNCG MARC U-STAR
program will engage these fellows in a curriculum organized around enhancing comprehension of the scientific
method, developing basic laboratory and evaluation skills, and the inclusion of modern genomic/evolutionary
approaches and techniques in biomedical research. Students will also be required to conduct substantive
independent research projects that include two summer research experiences, one at UNCG and one at an
additional institution. An excellent pool of research faculty is available to mentor fellows and sponsor their
research projects. The UNCG MARC U-STAR will sustain academic, professional, and social development
including facilitating the networking of our trainees into the existing community of UR biomedical researchers.
In addition, the program will provide enrichment strategies that include focused learning groups, intensive
research skills curricula and workshops, and service learning activities. This multidisciplinary program will
prepare fellows for success in graduate training in biomedical and/or behavioral health sciences by ensuring
competency in research fundamentals and requisite professional communication, teamwork, and leadership
skills. Synergy from aligning a writing-intensive curriculum with co-curricular activities and programmatic
research benchmarks will facilitate fellows acquiring research and communication skills necessary for success
in graduate training. A cohort of 10 junior level MARC U-STAR undergraduates will be supported in the first
year. During year two the ten fellows from year one will progress and another 5 juniors will be added, for a
total of 15 fellows. 15 fellows per year will be maintained for a total of 40 MARC U-STAR Fellows trained over
five years. Promising freshmen will be identified through performance in introductory STEM courses and a
pre-MARC Focused Learning Group during sophomore year will serve to groom potential applicants for the
fellowship program. MARC fellows will be mentored in inclusive research groups while being part of the
MARC community and will have experiences across departments and schools at UNCG and across institutions.
The leadership team overseeing our program brings experience, skills, and infrastructure to ensure success of
the program and strategic MARC program ambassadors in participating departments will ensure effective
programmatic articulation. Our UNCG MARC U-STAR will be the only program of its kind on the UNCG
campus and will p...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9928935
- **Project number:** 5T34GM113860-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA GREENSBORO
- **Principal Investigator:** Joseph Lewis Graves
- **Activity code:** T34 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $311,861
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-06-01 → 2022-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9928935

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9928935, UNC Greensboro MARC USTAR Engage, Sustain, and Prepare (5T34GM113860-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9928935. Licensed CC0.

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