The long-term objectives of this RISE proposal are to increase he number of Native American Students graduating from four-year institutions in the biomedical and other sciences, and to enhance the research environment at Dull Knife Memorial College. To achieve these goals Dull Knife Memorial College plans to build a high quality student- based research program that emphasizes student and faculty development. Dull Knife faculty and students will form long-term partnerships with researchers at nearby universities. These partnerships will enhance the research infrastructure at the College and increase the likelihood that students will complete their degrees when they transfer to four-year institutions. The research program includes academic year faculty/student research at Dull Knife Memorial College, summer faculty/student research at partner universities, faculty/student presentations at National scientific meetings, and faculty/student publishing in refereed scientific journals. At the end of the grant period it is expected that Dull Knife faculty will be able to compete for NIH- SCORE or NSF funding to support their research programs.