The MBRS RISE program at FIU is sponsored by a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant. The goal of the RISE program is to increase the number of students from underrepresented groups in biomedical and behavioral research who enter into and successfully complete Ph.D. programs in these fields. The students, by working alongside advanced undergraduate and graduate students as well as active research faculty and interacting in the larger scientific establishment, gain a better understanding of the biomedical career path. In addition, MBRS RISE fellows develop a competitive advantage to win admission to top graduate programs leading to the Ph.D. degree as well as postdoctoral positions in disciplines important in biomedical research. Specifically, the RISE program aims to enhance FIU’s research training output in biomedical and behavioral sciences by (a) increasing the number of students that complete baccalaureate (B.S./B.A.) degrees and enroll in Ph.D. programs, (b) increasing the number of students that complete master (M.S.) degrees and enroll in Ph.D. programs, and (c) increasing the number of pre-doctoral students that complete the Ph.D. degree. Furthermore, RISE program undergraduates at the B.S./B.A. level and M.S. degree participants are expected to directly matriculate into Ph.D. programs, and Ph.D. participants are expected to complete their terminal degrees in biomedical and/or behavioral research fields and advance to competitive postdoctoral positions. Thus the RISE program contributes to reducing the national gap in the completion of Ph.D. degrees between underrepresented and non-underrepresented students in the biomedical and behavioral sciences.

The FIU MBRS RISE program provides graduate and undergraduate students pay for a yearlong work obligation in a laboratory conducting biomedical research. In addition, funds are available for the MBRS RISE fellows to attend scientific meetings and print scientific posters. The program also provides tuition for graduate fellows. Other training includes participation in special skills workshops, academic advisement and in the annual MARC U*STAR & MBRS RISE Mini-Symposium.