# MARC at The University of Kansas

> **NIH NIH T34** · UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS LAWRENCE · 2020 · $131,166

## Abstract

SUMMARY
The central goal of the University of Kansas’ multidisciplinary Maximizing Access to Research Careers program
(KU MARC) is to provide research, academic, and professional development training to students from groups
underrepresented in the biomedical sciences. The program will have a special emphasis on American Indian
(AI) students. All participant students will be well prepared to thrive in competitive PhD programs and assume
leadership roles in subsequent biomedical research careers. The geographic and demographic context in which
KU is situated provides many unique opportunities and challenges for this training program. KU is a premier
research institution, an AAU member, and classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a “Doctoral University: Very
High Research Activity”. Given its suburban/rural location, KU is a predominantly majority-serving institution.
However, KU’s recruitment and retention efforts to increase diversity are paying dividends, and 45% of
undergraduates in KU MARC-participating programs are MARC-eligible, providing a robust applicant pool.
Moreover, KU is fortunate to have a long-standing relationship with nearby Haskell Indian Nations University,
including a co-sponsored Bridges to the Baccalaureate Program. KU MARC is well-positioned to recruit and train
AI students, who are severely underrepresented in the sciences, through its research and professional
development training as well as its tuition support for students transferring from Haskell to KU. KU MARC’s
programmatic activities are focused both on scholars’ development as scientists and on building an inclusive
community that can provide support as MARC scholars navigate the many challenges inherent to being
underrepresented in their fields. Key activities will include 1) a Pre-MARC program, where potential MARC
scholars will be mentored by current scholars and will explore biomedical research and career opportunities; 2)
Individual Development Plans to guide scholars’ research, academic, and professional activities; and 3)
comprehensive research experiences (10-15 hrs/wk during the academic year; 40 hrs/wk in summer, including
a required off-campus research experience) under the guidance of a KU faculty mentor. Research experiences
will be focused on cultivating scholars’ ability to develop hypotheses, design rigorous and unbiased experiments,
analyze and interpret results, and disseminate findings widely. Key activities also include 4) responsible conduct
of research and rigor and reproducibility training; 5) coursework including scientific writing, quantitative/analytical
methods, and how to prepare competitive graduate school applications; 6) matching of new MARC scholars with
IMSD/MARC alumni mentors to provide support and guidance; 7) opportunities to present research at national,
regional and local conferences; and 8) leadership and outreach opportunities held in collaboration with KU
MARC’s many campus partners. We propose to train 24 MARC scholars ove...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9931997
- **Project number:** 1T34GM136453-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS LAWRENCE
- **Principal Investigator:** PAUL R. HANSON
- **Activity code:** T34 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $131,166
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-06-01 → 2025-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9931997

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9931997, MARC at The University of Kansas (1T34GM136453-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9931997. Licensed CC0.

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