| PROGRAM GOALS
 To encourage minority students to pursue careers in biomedical research by preparing them for graduate-level work in the physical and life sciences.
To ensure the quality of their preparation in course content and research skills.
DEVELOPMENT PLAN
To achieve the program goals RISE students will participate in activities at all levels of their undergraduate development to improve their competiveness for graduate-level studies. Prior to admission to the program as RISE scholars,
freshman or sophomore transfer students are required to (i) complete a course (BIOL/CHEM/PHYS 1600)
gives overviews of the skills, training, and education required for the various occupations in the sciences and includes a workshop on the responsible conduct of research, and (ii) achieve a good grade in at least one course in their major. Once admitted to the program, RISE Scholars must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 or better.
RISE scholars particpate in a series of hierarchical student-development activities:
TILT - hands-on training in interdisciplinary biomedical laboratory techniques emphasizing advanced instrumentation. In the summer after their freshman or sophomore year, students will participate in this workshop which introduces them to the interdisciplinary nature of research and is not part of the traditional degree curriculum.
ASPIRE - off-campus and on-campus student research experiences which include summer internships. After successful completion of the TILT techniques workshop, students will get actual research experiences working on faculty-led projects. Students will have the opportunity to present their research at a regional or national meeting.
CURA - at the next level of their development, students who have completed TILT and have worked in a faculty research laboratory for at least one semester will be eligible to apply for a competitive undergraduate research award (“CURA”) to cover the cost of research supplies for the following summer or academic year. The program will award grants of up to $1,000 to students for the purchase of non-standard laboratory supplies and equipment necessary to complete a specific research project.
Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) to increase student achievement and lowering student attrition in introductory “gateway” biology, chemistry, and physics courses. RISE scholars will help teach these critical courses in their major and thus experience what it will be like to be a TA in graduate school.
GRASP - the capstone project which guides students through the graduate school application process including a GRE preparation workshop.
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