University of Minnesota Minority Undergraduate Summer Research Program (May-August 2012)

A persisting gap in recruiting talented students to careers in science is targeting students from historically underrepresented minority groups. The number of underrepresented minorities in neuroscience is woefully small despite the ever growing numbers of these populations in the US. The prevailing view, supported by studies of high school and college students, is that the solution to the problem of minority access to research careers is 1) to engage and nurture these students through early inclusion in research projects, coupled with 2) academic and social support and professional development. Exposure to effective role models, i.e. members of underrepresented minorities who have achieved a measure of success, is warranted as it allows students to see themselves in similar roles.

The overarching goal of the University of Minnesota Minority Undergraduate Summer Research Program (May 31-August 11) is to establish a rigorous program to recruit, nurture, and mentor promising undergraduate science majors from traditionally underrepresented populations to professional careers in research in neuroscience. This project will 1) recruit these students to a career in science early in their undergraduate career by providing them with a significant research experience, 2) expose these students to the field of biological sciences at large through a capstone poster presentation with students in other research areas, and 3) retain these students in the field, through professional development and ongoing mentored support.