About the Program

Mission

The mission of the Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) Undergraduate Student Training in Academic Research (U*STAR) Program is to increase diversity in biomedical research by identifying students interested in pursuing research as a career at an early stage and by providing training opportunities.

The MARC U*STAR program will prepare the participants to be competitive for entering graduate programs by offering an enhanced Honors like academic experience, an intense research training environment with a faculty mentor, including an off-campus 8-12 weeks summer research experience, professional development workshops and graduate school preparation. These activities aid in developing the skills necessary for participants to enter and succeed in graduate programs.

Benefits of the Program

Students who become MARC U*STAR scholars receive:

• The opportunity to conduct original research with faculty mentors and interact with professors and graduate students
• A monthly stipend while conducting research
• Partial support of tuition
• Funds for conducting research with faculty mentors
• An opportunity to interact with outstanding researchers from other institutions through seminars and workshops
• Opportunities to present research at national and international conferences (all expenses covered by the program)
• Participation in summer research internships at institutions nationwide
• Training in preparing a competitive application package for applying to graduate and PhD programs

How to Apply