Evaluating the Importance of Mentoring in Undergraduate Research Education Programs.

The National Institute of Health R25 Research Education Program was evaluated in the second year of implementation. Twelve mentors and 20 underrepresented minority students (URMs) scholars from partnerships and collaborations among five colleges and universities were added to the program to provide a more diverse research experience. Findings reveal that 100% of research mentors agree that the approachableness and accessibility of the program coordinator were beneficial in achieving mentorship goals and objectives. In addition, 85% of the students strongly agreed that the presentation of their research findings and the weekly reflection on goals, identification of accomplishments, and obstacles through the individual development plan were very effective. Of the 23 successfully tracked students for 2 years, six URMs (26.09%) obtained a bachelor's degree and were admitted into a graduate program; two were directly admitted to a PhD program in biomedical sciences.

Research Education Program for Underrepresented Minority Students: Students' Perception of Academic Enrichment and Research Activities.

The Research Education Program (REP) is an NIH R25-funded training grant designed to increase the pipeline of underrepresented minority (URM) students entering graduate programs and pursuing biomedical research and health care careers. Each week, students participated in different academic enrichment activities during morning sessions. Research activities were during afternoon sessions. URM students presented their research findings in a local poster session with their peers, graduate medical students, and faculty members. They also attended national conferences to gain experience and expand their professional networks. Our participants included 14.3% rural, 42.85% suburban, and 42.85% urban students. Of this, 83.33% were females, while 16.67% were males. In addition, 100% of students indicated exceptional satisfaction in 64.0% of the academic enrichment activities offered by the REP, and 100% indicated exceptional satisfaction in 63.0% of the research activities. Future research will investigate the long-term effects of REP and graduate enrollments.