Thank you for your interest in the MARC program. After 45 years, and hundreds of undergraduates trained and launched into amazing scientific careers as doctoral level scientists, the MARC program has ended. We celebrate our students and their accomplishments and will continue to seek out ways to support the highly talented and dedicated future scientists.
MARC supported student academic and research activities while they prepared to enter PhD programs. Students received financial benefits, exceptional professional training and experiences, and participated in outreach activities, all of which made them exceptional candidates for doctoral program admission and strong candidates for NSF graduate research fellowships. To maximize their participation in program activities and the laboratory, MARC students were not allowed to hold a job in addition to MARC.
Research
- Trainees obtained "hands-on" research experience in research laboratories at The University of Texas at San Antonio and participated in an extramural summer internship in their second summer. Students had a project of their own (or worked on a larger collaborative project) and created scientific abstracts, a thesis, and may even have been an author on a scientific paper.
- MARC trainees were expected to take responsibility for their research experience and develop a deep understanding of their project. By the time they graduateed, they should at least have been working at the level of master's students, or even young PhD students.
- Students were expected to work 15 or more hours per week in the laboratory during the semester and full-time (40 hours) during the summer. Students were advised to NOT sacrifice their academic success by putting too much emphasis on their research and working extra/extensive hours.
Honors
- All trainees were admitted into the Honors College and were expected to respond to emails from the Honors College. They had a semester to decide whether they would fully engage in Honors or if they would rather limit themselves to earning departmental honors.
- All trainees completed a thesis, which could be used for Honors experience as well as the COS Undergraduate Thesis.
- As Honors trainees, MARC students received benefits reserved for Honors trainees, including Honors advising, priority registration, and others.
Financial
(Note: This program likely caused reorganization of financial aid. See MARC and Financial Aid below.)
- MARC was an NIH T34 National Research Service Award and its stipend increased annually.
Note: increases happened on June 1, each year. - MARC paid approximately 60% of Spring and Fall tuition.
- MARC provided $1000 towards students' travel expenses, annually. Students worked with their PI, the Honors College, and faculty to identify additional funds. In their first year, all trainees traveled as a group to the ABRCMS or SACNAS conferences.
- MARC stipends were year-round and could not be stopped. MARC trainees had to connect their summer program with The University of Texas at San Antonio's administrative assistant to determine how to best coordinate funding. MARC had an extra $3000 that could be paid for housing/food and $500 for travel.
Academics
- Enriched Academics to include basic Biology courses to provide Biomedical foundations for all majors
- Two semesters of Research for Credit—the title varied with department (6 credits)
- One upper division course pertinent to their laboratory emphasis
- Complete pre-semester MARC training
- Encouraged participation in at least one graduate-level course or journal club prior to graduation
Conference Attendance
- MARC was given $1000 per MARC trainee for conference attendance annually (June 1–May 31).
- It could be used towards any of the following:
- Airfare
- Hotel (sharing a room)
- Registration fees
- Per diem (food; generally a flat $35–$48/day for food when it is not provided by the conference)
- Taxis and other travel related to attending the conference. All other travel/entertainment was the responsibility of the student.
Professional Development
- MARC Friday meetings
- Departmental seminars (2 times per semester)
- Mini-Mester and pre-semester stage-specific skills training
- Psychosocial Wellness
- Broader Impact/Outreach activities (at least 1 time per semester)
- Networking opportunities with former students and graduate programs
- Conference attendance
- Off-campus/extramural summer research internship
- Training in writing
- Development of an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
- Thesis creation and final oral presentation
Please note: Students at all levels were expected to spend sufficient time in their laboratory to complete their research projects. There were times when undergraduates would have to invest longer hours to complete their projects. However, they did so while keeping their courses in mind – do not sacrifice your grades!
MARC and Financial Aid
The MARC program funds were considered a scholarship or stipend and were disbursed through the scholarship office. MARC was inserted within the student's financial aid award—if the student was getting loans, it would likely replace them, as well as some university scholarships. If a student was at maximal financial aid (~$28K) and working off campus, they needed to assess whether MARC participation would cause financial hardship by replacing their financial aid as well as outside employment. When students were offered a position in MARC, they were advised to set up an appointment to visit with the Financial Aid Office to assess the program's impact on their finances.
MARC Two-Year Training Cycle
Year 1 (First Year)
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Year 2 (or Final Year)
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