Exemplary Programs or Best Practices

MORE Division staff find it difficult to single out exemplary programs. Some are stronger in certain areas and others are stronger in others. We also resist the term “best practices” because we believe that we can (and must) always push ourselves to do better. However, in reviewing progress reports we have seen a number of practices that are used, in varying combinations, by the more successful programs. These features of successful programs underlie the bullets listed in the Option 2 of the “White Paper” on the MARC Undergraduate Student Training in Academic Research Program.   (though some were tweaked to promote discussion).

• Select students from multiple departments, such as those from life sciences, psychology, mathematics, chemistry, physics, engineering, and computer sciences in order to have a strong interdisciplinary program.
• Provide a strong interdisciplinary MARC curriculum that will provide trainees with excellent quantitative skills, a strong academic background, and analytical thinking.
• Provide supplemental instruction in skills building such as reading for comprehension, writing, and analyzing and presenting scientific data.
• Provide supplemental group activities that promote active learning, analytic thinking, and problem solving based on research findings.
• Require partnerships for off-campus research with academic institutions that have T32 training grants.
• Provide tutoring to achieve high academic performance.
• Provide academic courses based on a program seminar series.
• Provide proactive and intrusive advising by an advocate, professional advisor, and assistance with academic and non-academic problems when they arise.
• Provide opportunities for and expect community service in which students use their scientific knowledge, their communication skills, convey the excitement of science, and reinforce their commitment to the goals of the MORE student development programs.
• Send 100% of graduating trainees to Ph.D. programs.
• Have increased institutional accountability of how the MARC funds are used, including how funds released by the provision of institutional fellowships or other institutional support to MARC trainees are used.