SALISBURY — A new collaborative effort called Bridges to Baccalaureate Program is designed to help students at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Gaston College, and Rowan-Cabarrus Community College complete undergraduate biomedical degrees.

The initiative is made possible through support from the National Institutes of Health, with funding expected to total $1.37 million over five years. The program will work with a total of 45 students who will earn associate degrees at Gaston or Rowan-Cabarrus colleges before transferring to UNC-Charlotte to complete their bachelor’s of science degrees in biomedical sciences.

The program builds on a partnership among the three campuses, which in spring 2018 announced funding from the National Science Foundation for the SPARC4, or STEM Persistence and Retention via Curricula, Centralization, Cohorts, and Collaboration, Project.

“It is exciting to further the work we are doing together,” said Christine Richardson, director of Bridges to Baccalaureate and a professor in the department of biological sciences at UNC-Charlotte. “Students who enter college with aspirations for biomedical careers sometimes lack the understanding of, and preparation for, the processes of science. Working together, we want to address the gaps so students can succeed.”

The three partners anticipate sharing education best practices that have been developed or improved during the two projects. While they are not the same, the projects will complement each other.

“We are thrilled to once again partner with UNC-Charlotte in a program that will benefit STEM students,” said Ashley Hagler, SPARC director and director of undergraduate research/biology coordinator at Gaston College. “This is an excellent opportunity for students who are interested in biomedical sciences to explore a career in research, and to experience a one-on-one mentoring relationship with a faculty member at Gaston before they transfer to UNC-Charlotte.”

Bridges to Baccalaureate will focus on exposing students to targeted resources and experiences.

“This grant gives our students an exciting opportunity to get real world research experience. This experience will not only help students support themselves financially, but it will also give them a unique relationship with faculty in a lab setting. Students will quickly learn if a biomedical career is for them,” said Carol Scherczinger, dean of arts and sciences at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College.

The partnership includes three areas of emphasis, following what is commonly called a Guided Pathway to Success model.

First, students will receive intensive academic advising while using “degree maps” to help them chart their academic course. They also will have individualized mentorship, cohort learning and embedded course tutoring.

Second, students will conduct independent research projects with faculty at the community college and later at UNC-Charlotte. Research at UNC-Charlotte will include both summer and academic term independent research in a laboratory, conducting biomedical sciences research. These experiences will culminate in poster and oral presentations both on campus and at national scientific meetings as well as opportunities to publish in peer-reviewed journals.

Third, to promote a sense of inclusion and understanding of how biomedical sciences fit in the broader community, transfer students will be paired with senior student mentors at the university level, attend regional networking meetings for biomedical professionals, participate in professional development workshops, and take courses in bioethics.

Recruitment of students will include a focus on increasing the numbers of students from underrepresented groups in STEM in biological and biomedical sciences majors. These would consist of underrepresented ethnic and racial groups, women, people with disabilities, and those from rural areas with low incomes.

Collaborators at each institution include faculty from diverse disciplines, as well as institutional leadership. At UNC-Charlotte, partners include the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, College of Health and Human Services, J. Murrey Atkins Library, and University Transfer Center, which is a resource for transfer students.

Faculty participants and lab resources also come from other colleges, including Lee College of Engineering and the College of Computing and Informatics.