The mission of the UMES MARC U*STAR Program is to increase the number of underrepresented UMES minority students who earn doctoral degrees in the biomedical sciences. The Program is designed to enhance the preparation and preserve the interests of high achieving honor students for research careers. The UMES MARC U*STAR Program will fulfill the following objectives: - Strengthening the science curriculum in the Department of Natural Sciences (DNS) in order to increase the percentage of DNS students with cumulative grade point averages above 3.0 from 30% to 40% - Increasing the 4-year retention rate of DNS majors from 45% to 50% - Maintaining the percentage of MARC trainees exposed to cutting edge research in the biomedical sciences predominantly through extramural summer research appointments at 100% - Maintaining the rate of MARC trainee participation in professional experiences at 100% - Improving the overall GRE scores of MARC trainees from 410 to 500 and 560 to 650 in verbal reasoning and quantitative analysis, respectively - Providing meaningful professional development activities to minority faculty by increasing the number of active collaborations between UMES minority faculty and faculty at major research institutions from 1 to 3 over the proposed project period and increasing the rate of DNS minority faculty participation in continuing education courses from 1 to 3 each year of the proposed project period - Provision of pre-MARC student development activities, including revision of four lower level science courses and provision of 7 pre-MARC workshops to DNS freshmen and sophomores. This program makes available to academically distinguished trainees special instructional and research experiences which regular curricula do not offer. The Program seeks to strengthen Biology and Chemistry curricula as a means of preparing students for the rigorous demands of graduate school, and provide the foundation necessary for the comprehension and appreciation of the research projects with which they will be involved. The UMES MARC U*STAR Program will emphasize extramural research experiences during the summer to allow students to engage in a hands-on approach to scientific literacy. It strategically provides intensive counseling, training, and test-taking seminars for the purpose of improving the quality of education, self-confidence of its students and GRE test scores. Through uniquely-designed partnerships the UMES MARC U* Program will facilitate the placement and matriculation of trainees in doctoral programs. At the end of this project, 25 trainees will have matriculated into Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. programs in the biomedical sciences.