The application for the 2020-2021 Academic Year is now available via this link: 
https://marcustar.umbc.edu/files/2019/12/MARCURISE-Application-2020-2021.pdf

If you have any questions about the program, please contact Dr. Jackie King, jking3@umbc.edu. If you have any questions about the application, please contact, Mary Carole Jorgensen, mcjorgen@umbc.edu.

The MARC U*STAR Program at UMBC is a research training scholarship program for undergraduate juniors and seniors majoring in the life sciences, physical sciences, engineering and mathematics.  To be eligible for a MARC U*STAR award, students must have an outstanding academic record, a strong desire to pursue a Ph.D. degree and career in biomedical research or mathematics, and a demonstrated commitment to increasing the number of persons from underrepresented groups who pursue these goals.

The program provides MARC Scholars with individualized academic advising, guided preparation for graduate school, continuous administrative support and professional development activities to ensure a competitive edge in today’s scientific arena.  Critical to this development is participation in a sustained individualized research project that is conducted throughout the academic year.  Under the tutelage of an approved mentor, this extended research experience provides “hands-on” training while helping MARC Scholars develop the critical thinking skills necessary to become a successful researcher.  As a result, many of our MARC Scholars have co-authored publications in peer-reviewed journals while still undergraduate students.  Additional activities include opportunities to interact with renowned research scientists, travel to national conferences and opportunities to present their own research in a scientific setting.  These advantages make UMBC MARC Scholars extremely competitive enabling them to gain admission to the top PhD and MD/PhD programs in the country with 95% of our MARC graduates enrolling in a post-baccalaureate educational program.

MARC Scholars receive comprehensive academic and research support, and are required to live in campus housing. To be eligible for MARC Scholar status, applicants must have a minimum of 60 academic credits in addition to meeting academic performance standards.

Students are eligible to apply to the UMBC MARC U*STAR Trainee Program if they:

• Attend UMBC full-time with a major related to the biomedical sciences (such as Biological Sciences, Bioinformatics & Computational Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biopsychology, Mathematics, Statistics, Engineering, or an approved Interdisciplinary Studies Major)
• Have a minimum of 60 college credits
• Have a 3.2 GPA each semester and a cumulative GPA of 3.2 (on a 4.0 scale)
• Plan to pursue a Ph.D. and a career in biomedical or behavioral research or mathematics
• Demonstrate an interest in the diversification of the biomedical research workforce.
• Are citizens, noncitizen nationals or permanent residents of the United States
• Agree to fulfill all program requirements including a sustained research project with an approved mentor from UMBC or another approved local research facility throughout the academic year