MARC Scholars are required to attend a weekly course on research ethics, standards, and good practices.
MARC Scholars are highly encouraged to particpate in a summer research experience at a US university away from UTEP and El Paso. This is considered an important aspect of student undergraduate research training.
MARC Scholars must write and orally defend an undergraduate thesis. This is a requirement for the scholarship and for graduation.
All MARC sholars are required to attend an annual Research Retreat that is usually held at the Lodge in Cloudcroft, NM.
• Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) awards provide support for undergraduate students who are underrepresented in the biomedical sciences to improve their preparation for high-caliber graduate training at the Ph.D. level.
• The scholarships are designed to commence for junior status students and are tenable for 24 months. Each successful applicant will be expected to pursue the following program:
1. Perform a biomedically-oriented research project under the direction of an NIH-approved faculty mentor.
2. Participate in three honors-designated courses.
3. Participate in various MARC and home departmental seminars, and various research workshops.
4. Participate in an Ethics in Science/Research class.
5. Write and orally defend an undergraduate thesis based upon their research activities.
6. Maintain a GPA >3.0.
7. Participate in regional, national and international professional research meetings as appropriate as an observer and/or presenting participant.
8. Continue with postgraduate studies aimed at obtaining either the Ph. D. or combined M.D./Ph.D. degree.
• A strong recommendation to MARC scholarship recipients is that they participate in a summer research program at an extramural research laboratory. This can be a different university, a national laboratory or industrial laboratory.
• Student Eligibility - All student award recipients must be U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents ('green card' holders) and must reside within the U.S. or U.S. territories and, during the tenure of the scholarship, must be full time students.
• Requirements - Applicants must be science majors in the field of Biology, Microbiology, Chemistry, Psychology (BS), Mathematics or Physics.
• Applicants must be close to at least junior status with minimum GPA of 3.0. The scholarships are awarded only to Junior and Senior students. Failure to maintain a 3.0 GPA may result in a student being terminated from the program.
Application is a PDF form that you can fill out and submit electronically.
Nadia Herrera received her Ph.D. in 2017 from Caltech in structural biochemistry and is now doing a postdoc at the University of California at San Francisco.
As an undergraduate MARC scholar, Dr. Skye Fortier studied the chemistry of iron-silicon bonds. Now, as an Assistant Professor in the UTEP Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry, he is continuing his study of metal complexes using d-block and actinide elements.
Dr. Yolanda Sanchez is a faculty member of Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth where she studies DNA damage response and anti-cancer drug discovery. She is also Associate Director for Basic Science of the Norris Cotton Cancer Center, an NCI Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Dr. Mario Bencomo graduated from Rice University in 2017 and is currently a postdoc at Brown University - Institute for Computational Experimental Research in Mathematics.
Yolanda Vasquez is a faculty member at Oklahoma State University in the Department of Chemistry. Dr. Vasquez studies the synthesis of nanoscale materials and their applications.
Milka Montes is an Assistant Professor at University of Texas Permian Basin.
