MARC Concept Clearance

Proposed modification to the MARC undergraduate biomedical research training program

Presented to

National Advisory General Medical Sciences Council

May, 2006

MORE, NIGMS, NIH, DHHS

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MARC Program

• Prebaccalaureate biomedical research training program for honors junior and senior students at minority and minority serving institutions.

• Mission is to increase the flow of competitively trained URMs for biomedically-related Ph.D. programs.

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Need to Refocus

• Urgent national need to improve representation in the biomedical research workforce.

• We have higher expectations of the MARC Program.

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Concept Clearance

Areas of change for significant increase in

the # MARC trainees receiving PhDs:

• Focus on Develop & Enhance

• Outcomes-Based Funding

• Partnerships with T32 programs

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Focus

• Activities to DEVELOP and ENHANCE students rather than INTEREST and MOTIVATE.

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Outcomes-Based Funding

• # MARC trainee slots based, in part, on past success of the applicant institution in sending its students to biomedical Ph.D. programs.

• More flexible use of trainee related expenses.

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T32 Partnerships

• Encourage partnerships with NIH T32 training grant programs.

• Original language intended T34/T32 training grant partnerships.

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Expected Outcomes

• Improve MARC trainee preparedness for competitive doctoral level graduate programs.

• SIGNIFICANTLY increase number of MARC trainees into Ph.D. programs.