MARC U*STAR
Minority Access to Research Careers Undergraduate Student Training in Academic Research
Sponsored by the National Institutes of Health
What is MARC U*STAR?
MARC U*STAR is an honor, scholarship program that provides support for undergraduate students who are underrepresented in the biomedical and behavioral sciences to improve their preparation for high-caliber graduate training at the Ph.D. level.
2010 MARC Trainees, photographed from left-to-right: Jasmine Smith (Chemistry/Biology major); Iymaan Pinkman (Biology major); Brittany Williams (Biology major); Phontaye Sorrell (Psychology major); Williann Garber (Psychology major); and Charles Eke (Biology Major).
Eligibility:
- Be a full-time student at DSU
- Major in the STEM disciplines (Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Physics & Pre-Engineering, Computer and Information Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Psychology, and Human Ecology) or an approved Interdisciplinary Studies major
- Have a minimum of 60 college credits and have no less than 24 months until degree completion
- Possess an outstanding academic record (cumulative g.p.a. of 3.25 on a 4.0 scale)
- Must have the goal of pursuing a Ph.D. in the biomedical sciences. Scientific fields including biology, biochemistry, biophysics, bioinformatics, bioengineering, computational biology (molecular modeling), genomics, behavioral sciences, and nutrition will be considered as suitable areas for graduate study.
- Be a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national or permanent resident of the United States who is of an underrepresented group
Requirements:
- Participate in intramural research project with an approved mentor from DSU and complete an extramural summer internship
- Attend workshops for: laboratory safety, ethics in science, career development, how to complete an application, presentations and public speaking, leadership and service, critical thinking and problem solving, working with scientific literature
- Make an oral or poster presentation at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS)
The Award
- 60% paid tuition and fees
- Paid stipend
- Paid travel to attend ABRCMS
Application procedure:
- Complete application
- Obtain and submit official transcript
- Write and submit a personal statement
- Obtain and submit two (2) letters of recommendation from faculty members
For more information, please contact