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Chapter 2

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The Undergraduate Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE) Program at the University of Texas at San Antonio Gail P. Taylor,* J. Aaron Cassill, and Edwin J. Barea-Rodriguez Center for Research and Training in the Sciences, The University of Texas at San Antonio, One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, Texas 78249, United States *E-mail: [email protected]

The NIH-funded University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE) program provides funding and developmental support for undergraduates and doctoral students to assist them in the completion of a doctorate in biomedical or behavioral research. Active at UTSA since 2000, the UTSA RISE Undergraduate Program has served 66 trainees on its active renewal, of whom 90% are Hispanic. Over 50% of undergraduate trainees have entered doctoral training programs or are poised to do so. In this article we provide insight into how programmatic “Best Practices” in trainee cultivation, selection, and training, as well as evolution of the UTSA campus environment, enable us to accomplish matriculation goals and develop exceptional candidates for doctoral training. There is still room for improvement in our program, however, and this is also addressed.

Purpose There are a number of federally-funded research training programs designed to promote the success of students from underrepresented groups (generally ethnic minorities, the financially disadvantaged, and those with disabilities) in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. This chapter provides a brief introduction to the NIH/National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)-funded Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE) Program, the goal of which is to increase the number of underrepresented students who © 2017 American Chemical Society Nelson and Cheng; Diversity in the Scientific Community Volume 2: Perspectives and Exemplary Programs ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2017.


earn biomedically-oriented doctoral degrees and contribute to national research efforts. The chapter also provides insight into how the UTSA RISE program has evolved, and continues evolving, its programmatic “best practices” to meet or exceed agency minimums for student matriculation (50% entry into doctoral training). At present, our major focus is to reduce undergraduate (UG) trainee attrition in the program, while increasing the proportion of trainees who begin and complete their doctorate. Achieving doctoral matriculation goals is of critical importance to RISE, because it is a major determinant for renewal of the local program and, ultimately, justifies the continuation of RISE as a viable training mechanism for the NIGMS. Thus, programs must consider the potential impact of each new trainee on its program performance. UTSA RISE can no longer induct research-naïve students or those with strong alternative career goals, to “try out” research; they do not “convert” into scientists with sufficient frequency. However, underrepresented students with great potential to be scientists seldom arrive at UTSA with knowledge about research as a career, research experience or Ph.D. aspirations. In response, we have developed programs and fostered partnerships to cultivate populations of underrepresented “pre-RISE” students who make an informed decision about pursuing a Ph.D. when applying to RISE. We also continue to explore means for selecting students who are most likely to pursue and complete a Ph.D., as well as enhanced developmental strategies so that our students approach doctoral training as well-prepared and well-informed young scientists who will excel in their programs. We believe that the “snapshot” we provide here of the UTSA RISE program, and the strategies we are using to enhance our applicant pool, select our trainees, and develop them for doctoral education, may assist others to create or enhance RISE or similar research training programs.

General Introduction to the NIGMS R25 RISE Training Program “RISE (R25) is a developmental program that seeks to increase the capacity of students underrepresented in the biomedical sciences to complete Ph.D. degrees in these fields. The program provides grants to institutions with a commitment and history of developing students from populations underrepresented in biomedical sciences as defined by the National Science Foundation. By supporting institutions with well-integrated developmental activities designed to strengthen students’ academic preparation, research training and professional skills, the RISE Program aims to help reduce the existing gap in completion of Ph.D. degrees between underrepresented and non-underrepresented students” (1). “The over-arching goal of this NIGMS R25 program is to support educational activities that enhance the diversity of the biomedical, behavioral and clinical research workforce” (2). Ethnic underrepresentation in STEM careers is dramatic; although Hispanics, African American and Native American/Alaskans make up 30% of the total U.S. population (3), they earn only 8% of doctorates in science and engineering (4). There are a variety of federal programs in place to address this deficiency in the 14 Nelson and Cheng; Diversity in the Scientific Community Volume 2: Perspectives and Exemplary Programs ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2017.


biomedical and behavioral sciences, including the NIH-funded Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE) program. The RISE program and its goals are best described by its parent institute, the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), above. The current NIGMS RISE research training program grew out of “diversity” programs first developed by the National Institutes of Health in the early 1970s, to enhance research access and success at minority serving institutions (5). RISE is a continuation of the MBRS-RISE (Minority Biomedical Research SupportResearch Initiative for Scientific Enhancement) program, which was implemented in 1997; its name was changed in 2014. RISE is housed in the Training, Workforce Development, and Diversity Division (TWD) of the NIGMS. There are there are 48 active RISE programs in institutions throughout the continental U.S., Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and Hawaii. Total RISE awards in 2016 (including direct and indirect costs) amounted to $28.3 million. RISE programs generally include intensive laboratory research experiences, academic enhancement, and professional development training for trainees, as well as activities that serve to enhance the research readiness of students in general and to cultivate “pre-RISE” students who later are inducted into RISE. Universities have great latitude for developing and carrying out RISE-sponsored activities (2). Principal Investigators (PIs) assess their local environment and tailor their programs to best serve their students and maximize program impact. Training generally takes place year round for RISE-supported students at undergraduate (A.D, B.A., B.S.) and/or graduate levels (M.S., Ph.D.). While participating in student development or research training activities, trainees receive program-supported salary or wages as employees of the institution. Programs at schools with insufficient research infrastructure often partner with Tier One universities to host their students for summer research experiences funded by RISE, while locally providing research-preparatory, academic enrichment and professional development courses and workshops during the academic year. Although content is flexible, RISE programs operate within a framework that ensures quality training experiences and effective program outcomes (2). Trainees must be American (U.S.) citizens, non-citizen nationals, or permanent residents. The Program Director (PDs) must “be an established full-time faculty member with a strong record in research, training, and teaching.” RISE institutions must have a sufficient recruiting population from underrepresented groups identified as having low representation in health-related sciences (4, 6), including racial and ethnic minorities or individual with disabilities; undergraduate (UG) trainees may also be financially or educationally disadvantaged. Additionally, the university must show considerable commitment to the program through direct financial support or course releases or similar extra support. Indirect (F&A) costs are low (8%) and program related expenses are capped at $10,500 per student. Most significantly, in 2006, the NIGMS established minimum program expectations for student retention and matriculation (7). On the current Funding Opportunity Announcement, PAR-16-361 (2), these expectations include: a) an increase in the overall number of underrepresented (UR) students that complete a Ph.D. and continue biomedical research careers; b) at least 50% of UG and 75% of master’s 15 Nelson and Cheng; Diversity in the Scientific Community Volume 2: Perspectives and Exemplary Programs ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2017.

RISE-supported students will enter into a Ph.D. program within three years after graduation; and c) at least 80% of RISE-supported Ph.D. students will complete the degree.


Introduction to RISE at UTSA “The RISE program at UTSA has definitely helped me understand what is needed to become a successful part of the scientific community. It certainly changed my career perspective and was the best part of my undergraduate career.” ~RISE Chemistry Undergraduate A RISE-predecessor MBRS (Minority Biomedical Research Support) program was first awarded to UTSA in 1980 and the active RISE program was awarded in 2000. We are presently in the fifth year of our third renewal, which was awarded in August 2012, and have a proposal currently under review. Since 2006, Dr. Edwin Barea-Rodriguez has been the Program Director and Dr. Aaron Cassill, the Associate Program Director. Dr. Gail Taylor has been with the program since it was awarded in 2000, is Assistant Program Director and serves as the Professional Development and Training Specialist; she generally spends half of her time on RISE duties and activities. The program also has a half-time coordinator and a half-time administrative assistant. The Specific Aims of the active program include: 1) enhance existing and implement new outreach and training activities to promote awareness of biomedical/behavioral research as a career and the development of pre-RISE, pre-Ph.D. UG populations; 2) enhance existing and implement new activities to develop RISE UG and Ph.D. trainees, to promote their preparedness for the next stage of their research education; and 3) develop activities that broaden access to research and promote student and faculty research skills at UTSA. Through these Aims, we desire to enhance UG research participation at UTSA, while cultivating a pool of strong RISE applicants and improving program effectiveness. Our UG training components support students in three colleges and five departments. UG majors include Biology, Microbiology/Immunology, Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Psychology; Ph.D. trainees are selected from Biomedical Engineering, Cell and Molecular Biology, Chemistry, Neurobiology, and Physics. For this chapter, we focus on our RISE UG training program.

The UTSA Training Environment “The UTSA Chemistry department has a strong research culture focused on training undergraduates. Since the graduate program is mostly master’s students and only a small amount of doctoral students, the labs often have multiple undergraduate students working on research.” ~Recent Chemistry Graduate In several ways, the UTSA RISE program has become more effective as the UTSA campus environment has evolved. UTSA was established in 1969 as the first public, state-supported, four-year university in San Antonio. UTSA’s purpose was to provide the majority Hispanic South Texas population access to quality higher education. UTSA has now been recognized by the Texas 16 Nelson and Cheng; Diversity in the Scientific Community Volume 2: Perspectives and Exemplary Programs ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2017.


Higher Education Coordinating Board as an emerging research university. This designation, and UTSA’s drive towards Tier One status, has spurred expansion of research infrastructure, doctoral training programs, and the hire of new research-oriented faculty. UTSA has recently received the basic Carnegie Classification of “Doctoral Universities: Higher Research Activity” (8). The UTSA RISE recruiting population has been enhanced by the increase in the student population, which swelled from 18,830 to 28,787 (Fall 2015) since RISE was first awarded. Presently, 60% of UTSA students are ethnic minorities, with the Hispanic population exceeding 50% of the total population. In fact, UTSA was ranked 6th nationally for the total number of bachelor’s degrees awarded to Hispanic students in 2015 (9). The RISE recruiting population has also expanded due to inclusion financially disadvantaged or disabled white or Asian trainees, who are among the 44% of UTSA UGs who receive federal Pell grants, although they represent only 9% of the RISE training population of the active grant. UTSA’s UG environment recently became even more conducive to RISE program success, through enhancement of admissions requirements in fall 2013. Through these and other university efforts, by fall 2015, 17% of the new freshmen class was in the top 10% of their high school graduating class, a nearly 7% increase since fall 2012. At about the same time, UTSA completed its first capital campaign and the number of merit-based scholarships greatly expanded. RISE departments have also developed several attractive and competitive new majors, including Biochemistry, Microbiology/Immunology, and Biomedical Engineering, which have attracted students to UTSA. These changes are beginning to be reflected in the increased strength of our application pool. At the same time, even in light of academic and population shifts, UTSA has retained its long-time emphasis on UG student training in its laboratories. Indeed, even with research-focused new faculty, laboratory culture remains very friendly to UGs. Particularly, with postdoc and the doctoral student populations still relatively low, it is not uncommon for UGs to grow as leaders in their lab and take on graduate-student level responsibilities. UTSA provides considerable support for the RISE program to promote its success. RISE is housed within the Center for Research and Training in the Sciences (CRTS), a component of the UTSA College of Sciences (COS). The CRTS partially supports the program staff (5% of 50% effort), provides space for our “Techlab” (a professional development classroom and computer laboratory), and an additional study room for pre-RISE freshmen. CRTS also covers a majority of costs for external evaluation, provides staff support to maintain the program’s several websites, and its Access database. Finally, the CRTS provides thousands of dollars in food, annually, for RISE and its ancillary activities, and approximately $10,000 annually in scholarships for participants in the summer and fall Rising Researchers pre-RISE programs.

Training Positions and Trainee Characteristics RISE currently has 20 UG training positions, of which approximately 14 come open each year. To be admitted to the program, applicants must commit to earning 17 Nelson and Cheng; Diversity in the Scientific Community Volume 2: Perspectives and Exemplary Programs ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2017.


a Ph.D. (discussion below). Entry requirements include a 3.0 GPA, sophomore through senior standing, and at least one year remaining prior to graduation. The trainee composition of the RISE UG program is at least partially influenced by the NIGMS-funded T34 UTSA MARC U-STAR (MARC) program, which is also directed by the RISE PD team and uses a common application. MARC has twelve training positions, is considered a more prestigious “Honors” program, and has about 7 openings annually. MARC trainees must have a 3.4 GPA or higher, make a two-year training commitment, and are paid a National Research Service Award (NRSA) stipend and tuition benefits, which replace most other financial aid awards except for Pell grants or Veteran’s benefits. RISE trainees with strong credentials often transition into MARC during their final two years. However, there is agency concern about schools with both RISE and MARC programs, regarding overlap of activities and trainees. As a result, it is important to note that RISE trains UG students from several exclusive, and very diverse, populations. Particularly, RISE trains sophomores; upper division students with GPAs down to 3.0; upper division students less than two years from graduation; recipients of high-dollar merit-based scholarships; and financially vulnerable students who must retain their financial aid and use RISE funding to replace outside employment. Thus, RISE has a broader range of trainees, including some of the academically strongest students and those with greatest financial need or academic challenges. The flexibility of RISE also allows us to begin the training of students who will not have enough research experience to be accepted into doctoral programs at graduation but are ideal candidates for post-baccalaureate training programs, such as the NIGMS PREP or Bridges to the Doctorate programs.

Numbers Trained and Student Retention Please note that in the analyses presented below, we are following the NIGMS policy and counting all students who entered the program and received payment, even if they exited the after receiving minimal training. As shown in Table 1, UTSA RISE has assisted a considerable number of ethnically underrepresented (UR) students to earn a doctorate. Since March of 2000, RISE has supported 218 UG students, 92% of whom are ethnically underrepresented and the remaining, financially disadvantaged. Hispanics make up 86% of the UR group. Sixty-four former trainees have entered doctoral or combined (DDS/Ph.D.) doctoral programs and another 17 are on a path towards the doctorate in other training mechanisms. Between 32% and 40% will matriculate from all cohorts. Nineteen of the 64 have completed their Ph.D., 29 are in progress, and 16 withdrew (8 of these earned MS degrees at withdrawal or later in another field). This matriculation rate is lower than we desire and lower than the 50% goal currently set for the program.

18 Nelson and Cheng; Diversity in the Scientific Community Volume 2: Perspectives and Exemplary Programs ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2017.

Table 1. Historic Undergraduate UTSA RISE Outcomes All Years

GY1 2001

GY5 2005

GY9 2009

GY 2013

16.5

4

4

4

5

Positions

varied

14/18a

16

24

20

Trained

218

41

44

66

67

In Training

18

0

0

0

18

BS in Progress

42

0

0

6

36

Graduated

165

41

43

51

30

Matriculation Goal (Ph.D.)

Varied

75% all grad

45%

50%

50%

On Path for Matriculation

17

0

0

5

12

Matriculation Ph.D.

64

19 (46%)

18 (42%)

13 (20-27%)

14

Earned Ph.D.

17

6

9

2

0

PhD in Progress

26

2

3

10

14

PhD Attrition

16

9 (47%)

6 (33%)

1 (8%)

0


Duration (Yrs)

a

Supplemental positions increased training slots during the grant cycle.

A clearer story of UTSA RISE performance emerges when we break out the funding cycles, which shows a program that is largely meeting its goals, except for the grant year (GY) 9 in 2009 renewal. Problems that arose with our GY9 “freshman experiment,” how these problems were countered, and what we learned from them are discussed more extensively below. In the GY1 (2001) renewal, 46% doctoral matriculation was achieved. Matriculation was a bit lower in the 2005 renewal (42%), but we nearly reached program goals. In the GY9 (2009) renewal, PhD matriculation largely occurred with the Jr/Sr population in 4 supplemental positions and who were admitted after a later scope change to admit more upper division students. Overall matriculation presently sits at 20% and may reach 27% when students in post-baccalaureate or master’s programs complete their education. Fortunately, our reviewers and NIHMS recognized programmatic and university efforts to correct the program and we were able to renew the grant. The active GY13 renewal is on target to meet, and even exceed, NIH goals. Of its 67 trainees on the active grant (GY13), 49 have exited the program and 32 have completed their degree (Table 1). Fourteen have begun doctoral programs at Boston University, Emory University (x2), Michigan State University, the Stowers Institute, University of Minnesota, UTSA, Tufts University, UC Berkeley, and The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio. Our two chemistry graduates train at the University of Georgia and UC Berkeley. Additional outcomes data from the active renewal are included in Table 2. Six graduates are in academic 19 Nelson and Cheng; Diversity in the Scientific Community Volume 2: Perspectives and Exemplary Programs ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2017.


M.S. programs at UTSA and the University of Michigan; at least four of these are extremely committed to subsequently pursuing a Ph.D. Seven other trainees transitioned to MARC or another internship and continue their degrees and research efforts. One of our former psychology majors will be reapplying for her doctorate. It will be several years before all students have entered terminal degree programs and final outcomes can be tallied. However, the doctoral and master’s matriculation patterns of graduates and the continued commitment of the MARC trainees indicate that we are on target to meet, and even exceed, the 50% matriculation goals, with matriculation rates of 53% or even higher. In addition, the active trainees have been vetted through increasingly stringent selection criteria, so we expect continued improvement.

Table 2. Undergraduate RISE Outcomes Details GY13 Renewal Number of: Training positions awarded

20

Trainees supported

67

Women

42

Underrepresented minorities

61

Exit Status (all degrees) Active trainees

18

Exited into MARC or other internship

14

Exited at graduation

17

Exited prematurely

18

Degree status-all trainees B.S. - Continuing/completed/withdrew

36/30/1

M.S. - Entered/continuing

6/6

Ph.D. - Entered/continuing

14/14 0

MD/Ph.D. – Entered MD - Entered/continuing

1/1

Entered other prof. degrees (DDS, PharmD, VMD, PhD PT) How many more non-active trainees at any level are likely to enter PhD?

0 12

The data reported in Tables 1 and 2 also reveal three other interesting trends. First, very few former trainees pursued a medical degree or combined medical/ Ph.D. programs. This is a mixed result; students who desire an MD have not been admitted to RISE for many years, but MD/Ph.D. was a valid career goal for first three years of the active renewal, and none matriculated. Second, doctoral program attrition for former RISE trainees has fallen to extremely low levels. All 20 Nelson and Cheng; Diversity in the Scientific Community Volume 2: Perspectives and Exemplary Programs ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2017.

trainees have been retained, with 5 completing one year and 2, two years. Of the 13 doctoral trainees from the GY2009 cohort only one has ceased his training. Nationally, seven-year attrition rates for Hispanics in doctoral programs stands at 35%, with a 21 month median time to attrition (10). From the combined cohorts of this and the prior renewal, only one (6.7%) of the 15 trainees who were in their programs for two years or longer has ceased training. These findings suggest that our former RISE UG trainees are currently beating national averages for retention. Finally, and unfortunately, 18 RISE trainees have exited RISE prematurely.


Evolution of RISE Selection Criteria To understand the RISE trainee outcomes above, particularly related to RISE program attrition, we explored the most common reasons that trainees left the RISE program and/or failed to pursue their Ph.D. These included changes in interest or career goals, as well as problems related to program or lab performance, academics, finances, or family and personal concerns. Frequently, several of these stressors were combined. The most profound realization is that, barring unexpected personal or financial hardships in highly skilled trainees, improvement of RISE program retention and doctoral program admission and retention, is largely accomplished on the “front end” of the program. Indeed, identifying a future Ph.D. can be likened to “panning for gold,” to find rare “nuggets” who are impassioned by science and learning, have the drive needed to invest the time and effort needed to obtain a Ph.D., and are academically strong enough to do so.

Selection of Trainees When the active grant started in August 2012, RISE had already become more selective than in prior renewals. In the early years of RISE, we had some success in inducting and “converting” pre-meds or funding students to “try out” research. These conversions do not occur at rates sufficient to renew a RISE program under today’s standards and these populations are no longer admitted. Students are explicitly asked if they may transfer out of UTSA. GPA requirements have been increased from 2.7 to 3.0, which is nearer minimal levels for Ph.D. admission. Finally, an application question was recently added, asking students if there is anything occurring in their life that makes them unlikely to finish their RISE training. The admissions requirements, application, and interview questions have been further revised during the active grant to exclude students who desired combined professional degrees (M.D./Ph.D.). For those who claim to desire a Ph.D., RISE requires that they demonstrate that they are making an “informed commitment.” Trainees are more likely to be considered to be informed and committed if they are presently working in a lab, have participated in a summer research internship, or participated in any of the pre-RISE training programs that are discussed in a subsequent session. They must provide consistent narratives about their desire for 21 Nelson and Cheng; Diversity in the Scientific Community Volume 2: Perspectives and Exemplary Programs ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2017.


the Ph.D., how this desire originated, knowledge of the research career path, and similar measures. We have also implemented a deeper examination of applicant’s grades. We have found that Cs in major courses during the prior semester is often a strong negative predictor for academic success, and we delay serious consideration for admission until performance has improved. Similarly, we have also begun to exclude most first-semester transfer students because of the frequency with which academic performance problems appear during their transition. Like many RISE programs, we have been seeking to identify selectors for students likely to pursue a Ph.D. Several questions were added to the RISE application designed to tease out the characteristics identified by McGee and Keller (11), for students likely pursue a Ph.D. following participation in the summer program at the Mayo Clinic. These include curiosity to discover the unknown, enjoyment of problem solving, a high level of independence, desire to help others indirectly through research, and a flexible and minimally structured approach to the future. At present, the predictive value of these attributes on doctoral program matriculation has been inconclusive but this exploration is ongoing. Most interesting to us, however, has been the fact that we have identified a considerable overlap of Gallup StrengthsFinder (12) themes in our trainees while writing letters of recommendation for doctoral program entry; we have proposed to study this on our renewal. The Gallup StrengthsQuest Assessment and an associated training session has long been taught to RISE trainees by Dr. BareaRodriguez, to promote their self-knowledge and help them to achieve success by harnessing their talents. Interestingly, the attributes identified by StrengthsQuest go beyond identifying what a person is “good at” and actually detects the top five “themes” by which they live and which seem to drive them. It was not surprising, therefore, that many RISE and MARC students who pursued a Ph.D. have one or more strengths that are related to enjoyment or motivation by the following: learning new things (Learner), achievement (Achiever), thinking (Intellection), collecting ideas (Input), pondering the future (Futuristic), strategizing (Strategic), and resolving problems (Restorative). These attributes have obvious application in doctoral education and alignment with research as a career. We have integrated questions into our application and interview form which seek to identify these themes in our interviewees and are now exploring them as predictors for doctoral program matriculation.

General Training Philosophies and Practices “As I see it, the great value of these programs is that they expose students to research careers. Many first generation students never considered this (I know from firsthand experience). For some students, research captures their imagination. Programs like RISE free up student time so that they can try it out. And the RISE program provides students with a broad range of professional development activities that reinforce and complement the lessons that they are learning in the lab.” ~UTSA RISE Chemistry Mentor 22 Nelson and Cheng; Diversity in the Scientific Community Volume 2: Perspectives and Exemplary Programs ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2017.


Theoretical Considerations Like many of the RISE programs with roots extending back several decades, the UTSA RISE UG program evolved and developed activities and practices now identified in the social science literature to promote the persistence of underrepresented students in STEM fields. These include academic and social integration, knowledge and skill development, support and motivation, and monitoring and advising (13, 14). To further develop the program, however, we have intentionally considered additional social science constructs/concepts, to enhance our training experiences. RISE UG training provides opportunities that allow trainees to develop a scientific identity and self-efficacy as scientists, to help them gain the confidence needed to apply for and persist in doctoral programs (15–17). In addition, the program now introduces the concept of cultural capital (18) and informs trainees that science truly has a culture and we are providing valuable information and experiences that will help them to excel within it. At the same time, we have become more aware of the level of acculturative stress (19) that some of the trainees are experiencing. Not only are our trainees navigating a new scientific culture where they may see themselves as outsiders, many are doing so with little family understanding and support. A recent personal statement also revealed that they may also have feelings of disloyalty towards their culture as they become scientists. We now convey the idea that our trainees become “bi-cultural,” and enter an international culture of science. We also make sure that visiting underrepresented scientists share how they navigated familial and cultural pressures and expectations. Finally, at the recommendation of a prior trainee, RISE is now integrating explicit information on how their successes in science and achievement of a Ph.D. can have strong positive effects on both their families and community. Guidance and Motivating Factors Because RISE trainees have dramatic differences in starting points and training needs, formal Individual Development Plans (IDPs) have been included in the renewal and have been implemented in the past year. Trainees are driven by the need to accomplish various activities of science, such as scientific authorship and conference presentations, so that they would gain entry to a Ph.D. program. They chart out their path during individual meetings with program directors in collaboration with their research mentors, and perform the activities of science that would expand their CVs and prepare them for doctoral training. In addition, the program has recently begun to focus trainees on future opportunities for independent grant funding, particularly the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) award. Although one-year trainees are unlikely to be competitive by the October deadline, others have trained for several years and have made submission of the GRFP their primary goal. This interest in the GRFP has been spurred by the fact that for the last two years, with little intervention from the program, four current and former RISE trainees have become GRFP fellows, and two of these wrote their grants as UGs. RISE trainees have now been given the option to participate in newly-developed 23 Nelson and Cheng; Diversity in the Scientific Community Volume 2: Perspectives and Exemplary Programs ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2017.

MARC-sponsored GRFP writing activities, and those who desire to submit a proposal will be helped to do so. GRFP training is supported by MARC to reduce overlap in activities and distinguish the “Honors” nature of MARC. However, advanced RISE trainees are strongly encouraged to participate.


RISE Laboratory Research Training “My research experience at UTSA was awesome. I have been fortunate to gain fundamental research skills that can be applied to any field. I was able to grow and become a leader in the lab I am in to train other students. I submitted many abstracts and presented poster and oral presentations at various local, regional, and national conferences. In addition, I completed a bachelor’s thesis and I am preparing several manuscripts for publication.” ~UTSA Undergraduate Researcher The rigorous, year-round laboratory research experiences that our RISE trainees receive at UTSA prepare them for success during subsequent extramural summer experiences and doctoral studies. In helping them to grow into the various milestones that they will encounter while applying to and beginning doctoral training, we seek to give the trainees responsibility and autonomy from the beginning of their journey, while offering substantial guidance. This is particularly true as they seek out research mentors. Trainees identify prospective faculty members with guidance from the program directors, the RISE mentor list, and our “How to Find a Research Mentor” publication. They are instructed on how to investigate the research performed by prospective mentors, how to create a CV, and how to approach faculty via email or during office hours. At trainee request, we have also implemented a “highly-recommended” option that trainees perform two- to three-day “mini-rotations” in several laboratories. Once they have selected a mentor, RISE trainees work in UTSA labs for 15 hours/week during the academic year and 40 hours/week in their first summer. Information in our “Take Charge of Your Training” and “Starting Life in the Lab” lectures and publications provides the trainee with insight on how to start strong in the lab and avoid common laboratory mistakes. Most importantly for our student research trainees, we emphasize that although the actual research accomplished and techniques learned are important, these do not matter if not accompanied by a very strong letter of recommendation from their research mentor. We then advise them how to impress Ph.D.-level researchers and provide them with a list of skills and attributes commonly rated by mentor recommendations for doctoral programs. During this training, RISE trainees learn that they must: • • • •

maintain their integrity in their labs and classes, under all circumstances. learn and be conversant on the fundamentals of their field, related to their project AND coursework. learn the literature related to their project. enjoy and take ownership of their project, and fully understand its origins, goals, experimental design, controls, strengths and limitations of their data, implications of their result, and importance to their field. 24

Nelson and Cheng; Diversity in the Scientific Community Volume 2: Perspectives and Exemplary Programs ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2017.

• • • •


•

• • •

cultivate a high level of skepticism and take no scientific result, even their own, on faith. responsibly show up when they say they will, manage time well, and put in a strong effort to complete their project. independently attempt to identify and solve project problems and conceive of their next experiments. participate fully in lab meetings, disagree with others as needed, and not hesitate to point out errors and contradictions, all while remaining respectful and “collegial.” recognize that everyone is going to fail, make mistakes, and possibly break things in the lab; a positive reaction to problems and frustrations is what is important. learn to convey their work in written and oral format, to both professional and lay audiences. be willing, and even eager, to work collaboratively, teach others in the lab, and mentor newer researchers. seek to be the “mature and reasonable” one during interpersonal exchanges in the lab and not escalate problems.

A second major theme related to the trainees’ research experiences is that they should not set limits on themselves by thinking that they are “only an undergraduate.” Instead, they are a young scientist and should view themselves as full members of the lab, who will help the “lab family” to reach its research goals. They are instructed to attend lab meetings and social activities. To help with acclimatization, they are notified that, like everyone else who has entered a lab, they will overcome the early feelings of feeling like a “fish out of water.” Also, like everyone else, there will be times that they will feel like an “imposter” and have insecurities. At the same time, we strongly convey the idea that as they mature, they are free to evolve and behave like what they want to “officially” become: a strong young doctoral student with increased laboratory responsibilities and a deep understanding of their project. For additional guidance in their maturation, trainees are instructed to study a well-respected doctoral student and model what they do, as much as circumstances allow. Extramural summer research is recommended for trainees whose appointment extends over two summers, and most RISE trainees pursue extramural training. Summer training is a great confidence-builder for RISE trainees, who have generally spent a year in their UTSA lab and readily adapt to their new circumstances. In addition, since RISE trainees select their own extramural programs and apply while receiving advice from the program directors, the experience serves as a “run through” for doctoral program applications. If any trainee who desires an extramural experience is not admitted through normal application processes, they will be admitted by program partners at T32 institutions. Trainees tend to return from summer programs with buoyed confidence and an even stronger drive onwards towards their Ph.D. There are circumstances, however, when RISE trainees are not required to attend a summer program. The student and UTSA mentor can petition for a student to stay in town to complete work that will result in a scientific paper. Permission 25 Nelson and Cheng; Diversity in the Scientific Community Volume 2: Perspectives and Exemplary Programs ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2017.

is usually granted with the stipulation that the students be engaged with additional PIs via collaboration or part time work in an additional laboratory, to cultivate a second research-oriented letter of recommendation. This strategy has worked well in the past; it was employed by a 2016 GRFP recipient who entered an extremely prestigious doctoral program, and had used the summer to explore a second lab, write her grant, and gain authorship on an upcoming publication.


RISE Professional Develop Training “…The RISE program supported and instructed me in the appropriate way in which to approach professors about joining their lab, a definite barrier to undergraduates as they try to enter research labs. Many of the programs offered through RISE teach "soft skills," such as poster presentation and are not often taught in the research setting. Therefore, additional training such as poster presentations, personal essay writing, and interview techniques helps to build skills that are important for outside of the laboratory.” ~Recent Chemistry Graduate Individual Guidance and Mentoring Above, we introduced the IDP and CV creation as guiding and motivating factors for our trainees. The individual mentoring associated with the creation of these documents is a cornerstone of the program. Trainees meet with the program directors regularly during the semester and also take advantage of Dr. Taylor’s open door policy. Having Dr. Taylor readily available to provide guidance and to review drafts of abstracts, CVs, and statements is highly valuable to the trainees. Finally, new trainees are peer mentored by more mature trainees in their major. Academic Achievement To help trainees optimize their schedules around research and program activities, RISE trainees have been given the same pre-enrollment privileges as athletes and Honors students. The UTSA curriculum in all participating majors is sufficient for admission to doctoral training in trainees’ major fields, although while developing their IDP, trainees will investigate course recommendations for individual graduate schools that interest them. UG RISE Trainees must complete at least a basic biology course, statistics or data analysis, two semesters of Honors Research (culminating in thesis creation) and at least one upper division course pertinent to their research. They are strong recommended to take a graduate level journal club or seminar in their field of study. Trainees are also highly encouraged to seek entrance into the UTSA Honors College where they can achieve Highest Honors or to seek Honors through their college or department. RISE trainees having academic difficulties are required to contact Dr. Taylor. Faltering students meet with Dr. Taylor and another of the PDs who try to discern the cause. Trainees are referred to free tutoring and the free individual academic coaching provided by the Tomas Rivera Center for Student Success. 26 Nelson and Cheng; Diversity in the Scientific Community Volume 2: Perspectives and Exemplary Programs ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2017.

They are also loaned Schaum’s Outline study guides, may receive study strategy recommendations from Dr. Taylor, and are often matched with advanced RISE trainees who can give study advice and tutoring as needed.


Training Sequence RISE UG professional development training is extensive and presently in flux. Expansion of summer training resulted in redundancies with a long-standing 3-credit Research Career and Professional Skills Development course taken soon after program entry. In addition, we desired greater contact with senior-level students, to provide greater assistance with doctoral program applications and to convey timely doctoral program survival skills for graduating students. Now, the RISE UG training is being reorganized into two tracks of stage-dependent training sessions that will be running at all times (Table 3). Four of these sessions will be approved as one credit courses. This training cycle progressively teaches trainees the skills needed to pursue and succeed in doctoral studies. Notable Training Sessions and Strategies RISE Jumpstart Summer Program: One of the most significant changes to the RISE Schedule over the past few several years has been the expansion of its summer activities and their incorporation into what is essentially a RISE-sponsored summer program. Jumpstart was developed to encourage mentors and first year students to quickly begin a research project that could be presented at the end of summer, as well as at fall conferences. In addition, RISE trainees now receive their “basic training” in CV creation, finding and reading papers, and scientific writing by the end of this first summer session. Scientific Conferences: RISE trainees are funded to attend one scientific conference per year. For their first conference, all first year students attend either the Annual Conference of the Society for Advancement for Chicanos and Native Americans and Science (SACNAS) or the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) as a group. At these conferences students gain a broadened view of fields and opportunities; insight into career and graduate opportunities; experience presenting their work in a stimulating national forum; and networking opportunities with graduate programs, summer programs, potential mentors and like-minded students. Trainees submit abstracts of their summer work in collaboration with their research mentors, under the guidance of the program directors. Before the national conference, trainees receive extensive Individual Poster Coaching on their presentation by the program directors. The trainees will also receive instruction on how to get the most benefit from the conference during a Conference Orientation session and are provided with paper business card blanks and a MS Word business card template. In their second year, UGs attend a professional conference in their field, generally with their mentor and lab mates. San Antonio is also a conference destination and hosts an array of regional, national, and international conferences in science and engineering. Trainees are encouraged to attend these as well and the program pays for their registration when funds are available. 27 Nelson and Cheng; Diversity in the Scientific Community Volume 2: Perspectives and Exemplary Programs ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2017.

Table 3. UTSA RISE Undergraduate Research Training Schedule

28


Year Round: Laboratory Research, Friday Career Path or Recruiters Seminars, Conferences Summer 1 Jumpstart*

Fall 1

Spring 1

Intro to RISE Program (Booklet) Finding a Research Mentor Take Charge of Training & Notebook Scientific Papers Research Plan Building a CV Laboratory Reports Poster Creation & Presentation Grad Student Round Table Intro to Oral Pres: Making, Giving Scientific Identity Experimental Design & Reproducibility Sessions Writing & Abstracts Sessions

PhD Program Preparation Preparing for Grad Grants StrengthsQuest Local Conference SACNAS or ABRCMS Sum. Prog. Prep: Apps and statements, LoRs, Strategizing Science Career Paths 101 Individual Dev. Plan

Sum. Prgm II: Complete Apps Critical Thinking Series II Ethics Refresher w scenarios Teaching 101 (2 sessions; piloted) Networking in Science Three Minute Thesis Meet with Doctoral Interviewees Tech Transfer & Biotech Budgeting 101 Three Minute Thesis

Summer 2 Summer Prog. (or Local Res. & Networking)

Fall 2 Funding Doctoral Education Intro to Journal Club Grant Writing Sessions (Optional) Summer Research Orals PhD Application Series Interviewing 101

Spring 2 Mock Interviews Successful Transitions: academics, selecting rotations, mentor choice, professional behavior, survival skills Meet w Former UG PhDs Final Presentations



Graduate Program Application Preparation Sessions: We have developed a series of weekly training sessions over the last two years to encourage RISE trainees to prepare doctoral applications and to assist us in tracking their progress. These sessions are currently offered twice per week to allow trainees with diverse schedules to attend. The sessions are associated with a Program-related Blackboard class, to which the trainees are enrolled individually. An application-tracking excel file, useful links, and sample essays from prior trainees are available on the site. RISE Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Presentations: RISE trainees now prepare a presentation of their research following the requirements of the University of Queensland Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition (20). It is extremely important that young scientists learn to communicate their research effectively to all possible audiences. 3MT presentations require that trainees distill their work down to a single slide and develop an engaging three minute lay audience talk. Consistently, when trainees have subsequently spoken to groups of students or the public, they mention that they had just given part of their 3MT talk.

Cultivating and Selecting the Right Trainees − Pre-RISE Programs “Research has become something that I am very interested in as a career choice now that I have actually seen the actual labs and talked to the scientists at UTSA” ~UTSA Freshman Rising Researcher As introduced above, a RISE program is not effective, and may be lost to a university, when too many students prematurely exit or cease their path towards the doctorate. To protect and enhance the impact of the RISE UG program at UTSA, we have progressively tightened our RISE trainee selection criteria, described above. At the same time, we have expanded mechanisms by which we can inform potential trainees about research as a career, broaden their access to research laboratories, and help future trainees to maintain strong academic credentials. Our original Rising Researchers program was developed as a first-semester bridge program for freshmen, as a result of our “freshman experiment" that began in fall 2008. Briefly, we conceived of “completing the research training pipeline” (21) at UTSA. The plan was to progress freshmen into MARC (the next segment in the pipeline) as juniors and then a doctoral program at graduation. Instead, we experienced firsthand the variability and vulnerability of low income, underrepresented, first generation college freshmen; none of whom completed this sequence. In our second year, we created a “buffer” semester-long program to screen the freshmen and the COS provide stipends for participants. Outcomes improved slightly, but year 3, we changed our scope to more mature students, but the COS has continued to fund Freshman Rising Researchers stipends. The two active Rising Researchers programs include the Freshman Rising Researchers (FRR) program and the summer Rising Researchers Boot Camp (RRBC). FRR occurs each fall and engages between 20 and 25 incoming students in hour long weekly training sessions. Students receive a $300 scholarship 29 Nelson and Cheng; Diversity in the Scientific Community Volume 2: Perspectives and Exemplary Programs ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2017.


for successful completion of the FRR. Trainees must be interested in scientific research, but we also now admit pre-health students, because ‘physician’ tends to be the default career choice of academically strong freshman. Two to three of FRR students, annually, have chosen to pursue RISE training as sophomores or juniors. Its training is designed to introduce students to the RISE program at UTSA. It also promotes academic success through connection with campus support systems and information on GPA calculation. Networking or seminars sessions with research UGs, graduate students, and faculty, and laboratory tours are also provided. RISE UGs have long served as peer mentors for the program, but for the last three years FRR session has been managed, enhanced, and partially taught by RISE UGs, particularly Psychology students eager to build experience that may help them bypass master’s training. The summer RRBC program is a four-day, full-time introduction to research as a career for 16 sophomores through seniors and offers a $200 scholarship. It has similar training topics to the FRR, but replaces the academic support lectures and journal club with a hands-on DNA footprinting experiment. Summer applicants are also vetted through the RISE program. The RR programs have served several notable trainees who are currently in doctoral program, and helped us avoid applicants who did not engage with the training. RISE PDs have also sought additional means of connecting with potential RISE trainees. One is a partnership the San Antonio Community College District’s NSF-funded Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Ciencia, Ingeniería, y Matemáticas Aliados (CIMA) program. The RISE program staff helps facilitate CIMA summer trainees at UTSA, and Dr. Taylor connects with the trainees and teaches some of their professional development sessions. RISE PDs also wrote or assisted with two NSF-STEM grants, to further cultivate prospective applicants. Drs. Cassill and Taylor recently developed an S-STEM grant titled Retaining Emerging Alamo Colleges Talent in STEM (REACT-STEM) to assist community college transfer students as they transition to UTSA. REACT-STEM particularly focuses on former CIMA students who are already familiar with UTSA laboratories. REACT trainees must desire at least a bachelor’s degree in biology, physics, chemistry or biomedical engineering and have career goals in science, not health careers. REACT provides its trainees with $10k scholarships per year for up to three years, coaches them to help them avoid academic pitfalls, and guides them towards careers in science. Dr. Taylor is also a Co-PI on a freshman-oriented S-STEM program called Facilitating Access to Scientific Training (FAST) with similar aims. Two trainees from each program have now entered RISE, and we expect several more to follow in the future. RISE also developed an additional mechanism by which UGs can obtain a paid research experience, with a small Work Study Research Training Program (WSRTP). WSRTP students participate in all RISE activities but receive their pay ultimately through their own financial aid allotment. The WSRTP can accept students who are yet uncommitted to a Ph.D., or those with academic insufficiencies, and allow them to work in a laboratory and fully engage in professional development activities. Trainees may reactivate their application for RISE once they meet entrance requirements.



Additional RISE Impact at UTSA The RISE Program at UTSA has had a substantial impact on both students and the university. In fact, in UTSA’s early days, the historical MBRS program supported the first seminar series on campus, in biology. The current RISE program has similarly made its mark on campus. Its career path seminars are the sole organized source of this type of information in the COS. The RISE PIs helped spur the development of UTSA’s Office of Undergraduate Research, and RISE expertise was critical for the development of the College of Sciences Research Conference, for which RISE staff continue to run the poster competition. We also developed web-based materials that now assist COS students outside the program to engage with laboratory research (22), as well as new content in the UTSA Undergraduate Catalog, with information on how to pursue a Ph.D. (23). RISE also has a considerable impact on non-RISE students through the various pre-RISE activities described above. We routinely “adopt” students who are ineligible for the program, provide them with a program calendar, and allow them to participate. RISE has also been instrumental in the development of the new UTSA BIOS program, a late summer, five-day residential training program for incoming freshmen, designed to enhance their study skills and improve performance in BIO 1, a critical gateway course for many science majors.

Conclusions In this article, we have provided the reader with a snapshot of our RISE UG training program and some of its activities. There are many strong RISE programs and ours has grown and evolved over time through discussions and interactions with others. We are pleased to share our successes and challenges here, in hopes of helping others to design future UG interventions and training programs. Many of the RISE training materials, including the IDP document, are available on the program Resources page online (24) and the remaining are available upon request.

Acknowledgments We would like to thank the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, for RISE and similar programs, which enable underrepresented students who otherwise might never have stepped foot in a lab, to pursue their dreams of a doctorate (GM060655). We would like to recognize RISE program officer Alexandra Ainsztein for her assistance and information related to current program status. Finally, RISE is only possible in its current format due to support from the UTSA Center for Research and Training in the Sciences, and its Director and Dean of the UTSA College of Sciences, Dr. George Perry.

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