Thank you for your interest in the RISE Undergraduate program. After 45 years, and hundreds of undergraduates trained and launched into amazing scientific careers as doctoral level scientists, the RISE 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 at UT San Antonio.
The NIH/NIGMS-funded RISE (Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement) program was designed to assist underrepresented students to attain their doctoral degrees in the biomedical and behavioral sciences.
The RISE Undergraduate program supported research training for students interested in developing professional careers as research scientists. This federally funded training program was designed to ensure that talented and motivated minority or disadvantaged students were able to obtain the background and skills that they needed to enter and succeed in doctoral education.
All RISE participants performed original scientific research and presented their findings at scientific meetings. They took courses and participated in activities to enhance their professional and leadership development. They were introduced to a broad range of scientific disciplines and were provided with networking opportunities with representatives of some of the nation's top research universities. It was the goal of our program that all of our students continue their education to higher levels, obtain their doctoral degree, and pursue satisfying research careers.
The RISE program has been active at The University of Texas at San Antonio since 2000, but 2023 was its last year of funding. To expend residual funds, we recruited a cohort of final-year undergraduates on track to earn their bachelor's degrees in Spring 2024, who desired a PhD but needed additional preparation. We expected that most of these students would have minimal training in research. We provided intensive research and professional training between Summer 2023 (full time participation required) and Spring 2024. Our goal was to help these students to develop at least into excellent candidates for postbaccalaureate and funded master's program by the time they graduated and soon after gain admission to top doctoral programs. Funding lasted through March 2024.
Benefits
The Undergraduate level RISE program provided financial benefits as well as professional experience and training that helped students to enter and succeed in doctoral programs.
Research
- Obtain hands-on research experience in laboratories focusing on Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Biophysics, or Chemistry with a biomedical emphasis.
- Work with a University of Texas at San Antonio or UT Health San Antonio faculty mentor.
- 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.*
Please note: Since this was a research training program, students were expected to spend sufficient time in the laboratory to complete their research projects. Although stipends on this training grant had to be distributed in an hourly fashion, this was NOT a job. There were times when undergraduates had to invest longer hours to complete their projects.
Financial
- $14/hour
- Funding for a scientific conference
Conference Attendance
All RISE participants received full funding to attend one scientific conference annually. Paid was airfare, hotel (maximal cost per room varied by city; room sharing was required), registration fees, per diem (generally a flat $35-$45/day for food when it was not provided), and other travel related to attending the conference.
Professional Development
- RISE/MARC colloquium, seminar, and Lunch with the Speaker (direct professional training and networking sessions)
- Research Careers and Professional Skills Development course
- Conference attendance
- Mentoring by program faculty and staff
