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U-RISE at Sacramento State Center for Science & Math Success

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U-RISE at Sacramento State

Funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Undergraduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement (U-RISE) at Sacramento State aims to develop a competitive pool of student candidates for admission into graduate programs in the biomedical research fields.​

What defines a Biomedical Research field? The NIH defines biomedical research as “any research that is conducted to increase fundamental knowledge and understanding of the physical, chemical, and functional mechanisms of human life processes and diseases”. In other words, any field of research looking for ways to understand, prevent, and/or treat any disease that threatens the health of people and animals, and includes different areas of the life and physical sciences.

U-RISE at Sacramento State offers a research-training curriculum that prepares students who plan to earn doctoral (PhD) degrees in a biomedical research field.​ Therefore, students selected to participate as U-RISE Trainees must be strongly committed to pursuing PhD degrees in a biomedical research field.

Each year, U-RISE at Sacramento State will select up to 8 U-RISE Trainees to participate in a rich research-training curriculum, graduate school preparedness workshops, individualized graduate school readiness advising, and preparing competitive applications for PhD programs.

Eligibility

Potential U-RISE Trainees must be:

  1. Citizens, noncitizen nationals, or permanent residents of the United States (at the time of application)
  2. Enrolled in a major from the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (NSM)
  3. Show a strong commitment to pursue a doctoral degree (PhD) in a biomedical research field.

The following additional criteria will be used to recruit eligible participants:

  1. GPA >3.0 for the last two semesters (including outside of Sacramento State).
  2. 12 months (or more) from their expected graduation date. Third-year students or incoming fourth-year students, including their rising summer, are welcome to apply.
  3. Hold an agreement with a faculty mentor to conduct research in their group.

Program Required Activities

All U-RISE Trainees must commit at least 12 months (1 year) and are required to (1) participate as independent researchers in training under the mentorship of a Sacramento State or UC Davis faculty, and (2) participate in the U-RISE research-training curriculum.

The U-RISE at Sacramento State research-training curriculum includes:

  • Graduate School Preparation (x2 workshops/year)
  • Science Communication (x3 workshops/year)
  • Methods for Enhancing Reproducibility (x4 workshops/year)
  • Graduate School and Career Advising (at least x2/semester)
  • Biomedical Research Seminar (NSM 90) spring-only course
  • Research Integrity (PHIL 56) course (must be completed upon entry into the program)
  • Certification in Research Ethics (must be completed online upon entry into the program)
  • Attending U-RISE-approved national scientific conferences
  • Presenting research as Posters and Oral Presentations at local, state, and national events
  • Apply to at least five (5) PhD programs during the fall of your graduating year.

Applying to U-RISE

Students interested in becoming a trainee of the U-RISE at Sacramento State Program should email us to inquire about the application process.

Click Here to Email To Learn More About Applying.

Student Support

Students selected as U-RISE Trainees will receive a

  1. Monthly stipend for their active participation in the U-RISE research-training curriculum and the supplementary research work with a faculty mentor.
  2. Funds for research supplies
  3. Financial support to cover up to 60% tuition and fees.
  4. U-RISE Trainees are also eligible to receive funds to attend a U-RISE-approved conference after their first semester of participation.

Contact Information

For additional information regarding the U-RISE Program at Sacramento State please stop by Sequoia Hall 320, the Center for Science and Math Success, where the U-RISE Program is housed or contact us at (916) 278-6519 or see@csus.edu.

Funding

The U-RISE Program at Sacramento State is funded through the NIH National Institute of General Medical Sciences Research-training Grant, T34GM153398.