Office of the Dean

Minority Science Programs (MSP)

2013 Program Announcement

Applications will be reviewed beginning on April 1, 2013

PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Dr. Luis Mota-Bravo, Director of Outreach, Research Training and Minority Science Programs, School of Biological Sciences

 

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Minority Science Programs (MSP) in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) announces the Bridges to the Baccalaureate Program, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The objective of the Bridges Program is to advance the careers of students from four partner community colleges interested in pursuing a biomedical research career. The program has been designed to:

• Provide comprehensive research training to Bridges participants while they receive financial compensation. Paid training components include: 1) research conducted under the direction of UCI faculty mentors, 2) a faculty seminar series, 3) a journal club to introduce scholars to critical reading of current biomedical literature, 4) an intensive workshop on principles, instrumentation and techniques used in biomedical research, 5) preparation of papers, oral presentations and posters, and 6) presentation of research findings at local and national conferences

• Provide academic preparation during the academic year to transfer and excel at UC Irvine

• Inform students about career choices and opportunities

Partner community colleges are: Orange Coast College, Santa Ana College, Fullerton College and Cerritos College.

 

ELIGIBILITY

Applicants must be United States citizens or permanent residents from underrepresented minority groups (Black African-Americans, Chicano/Latino Americans, Native Americans, and Natives of the U.S. Pacific Islands). Applicants should be enrolled full-time in or transferring from one of the four partner community colleges. Bridges participants should have completed one semester of transferable chemistry and biology at the community college with a science GPA of at least 3.00 (however, exceptions to the GPA requirement can be made for students with special recommendations from science faculty from their community college).

 

RESEARCH TRAINING

Participants in the Bridges program receive practical training in modern laboratory techniques and then are placed in supportive UCI laboratory working environments where they establish peer/mentor relationships. Bridges participants are paired with junior and senior-year UCI undergraduate students, minority graduate students or supportive staff research associates.

 

BENEFITS, RESPONSIBILITIES AND TIMETABLE

Training at UCI is full-time (40 hrs/week) from June 10 to August 16, 2013 (with the possibility of extended it until September 13, 2013, by previous authorization of the director).

 

Paid research training consist of working as a full-time UCI employee during the summer (10 weeks), receiving a salary of approximately $400/week, with the possibility of continuing up to 10 hours per week during the academic year.

 

During the summer, Bridges participants attend a workshop on modern laboratory methods,  Weekly sessions of the Faculty Seminars, Weekly Journal Club and Progress Report Sessions, Organic Chemistry Prep Tutorial Sessions and MSP Bridges Research Symposium.

 

Bridges to the Baccalaureate Program participants are required to prepare a 5-page paper describing the research project that they developed over the summer. These papers are due on August 16, 2013. Bridges students are required to present their findings in an oral presentation at the MSP Bridges Research Symposium at UCI on August 15, 2013.

 

Financial support is available to attend nationwide conferences to present research findings.

Selected applicants will be required to attend a two-hour pre-orientation meeting on either May 3 or May 10, 2013.

APPLICATION

Applications will be reviewed beginning on April 1, 2013, until all the positions are filled.

 

You may download the MS Word Bridges to the Baccalaureate Program application package that contains the Bridges Program Application Form, Recommendation Form and Statement of Purpose Form.

 

For additional information about Bridges to the Baccalaureate Program please contact:

 

Dr. Marlene de la Cruz

Associate Director

Minority Science Programs

University of California, Irvine

1134 Biological Sciences III

Irvine, CA 92697-2527

 

Ph: (949) 824-2589

Fax: (949) 824-6599

e-mail: marlene@uci.edu