# Bunker Hill CC - Roxbury CC - MassBay CC - UMass Boston Bridges to the Baccalaureate

> **NIH NIH R25** · UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS BOSTON · 2020 · $113,321

## Abstract

University of Massachusetts Boston (UMB) together with Bunker Hill (BHCC) and Roxbury (RCC)
Community Colleges seek renewal funding for our Bridges to the Baccalaureate Program. Based on
the successes and strengths of our current program, we are adding a third partner – MassBay
Community College (MBCC) which expands the pool of underrepresented students participating in the
program. Enhancing science education and student success, especially for underrepresented
community college students, is a core mission of the four partner institutions. Since the Bridges
Program was first implemented in 2007, 111 underrepresented community college students have
participated: 83% have transferred to a four-year institution, of these 51% have earned BA/BS and
41% are still enrolled in a four-year institution. The goals of the program will be achieved by 1)
increasing underrepresented students' awareness of careers in biomedical and behavioral sciences
and giving them the confidence to succeed, 2) improving students' skills and knowledge in math,
laboratory techniques, and scientific reasoning, and 3) increasing the number of underrepresented
students who enroll in and successfully complete science courses at the partner community colleges,
and who successfully transfer into the biomedical and behavioral science programs at UMB or other
four-year institutions and earn bachelors degrees. Each year 21 underrepresented students from the
partner community colleges (seven per partner) will participate. Eight activities are designed to
prepare Bridges students for baccalaureate degree programs in biomedical and behavioral sciences:
1) assessment of students' needs, 2) orientation to objectives and expectations of the program and to
scientific research, 3) intensive advising, 4) Facilitated Study Groups and academic tutoring, 5) Math
Workshop, 6) Laboratory Skills Workshop, 7) Facilitated Student Success Seminar, and 8) mentored
research experience. Performance of each activity has been fully reviewed each year and changes
implemented to continually improve; we have a mature Bridges Program that has met almost all the
goals proposed in 2007. However, there is still a critical need for our program. Greater Boston is a
world leader in biomedical sciences, with hundreds biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, as
well as major universities and hospitals conducting cutting-edge research in biomedical and
behavioral sciences. The non-white population of Boston has now reached majority status. Thus, it is
imperative that Boston area institutions make it a priority to develop underrepresented students'
interests and talents in biomedical and behavioral sciences. The Bridges partners have a history of
collaboration, are committed to fostering underrepresented student achievement, and have committed
resources to ensure the program's continued success.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9939609
- **Project number:** 5R25GM075306-13
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS BOSTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Chitra N Javdekar
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $113,321
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2006-09-01 → 2022-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9939609

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9939609, Bunker Hill CC - Roxbury CC - MassBay CC - UMass Boston Bridges to the Baccalaureate (5R25GM075306-13). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9939609. Licensed CC0.

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