To compete in today’s global, high-tech economy, the United States is becoming more dependent on workers and leaders prepared in STEM fields; however, national studies indicate that too few American students have the requisite knowledge and skills in science and mathematics to participate fully in today’s economy. We are falling behind in the global race of scientific human capital development. The US trails sixteen countries in Europe and Asia in the proportion of each country’s college population who earn degrees in science and engineering. The Scripps Research Institute has a history of training outstanding students and scientific investigators and therefore, is in a unique position to develop and implement programs that increase student curiosity and fill the achievement gap. Scripps faculty and administration have worked collaboratively to develop a top-notch, intellectually focused summer educational experience for undergraduate students. By leveraging existing relationships, and our deep connection to the local minority community and the national scientific community, Scripps’ Structure and Function Summer Institute (SFSI) Program provides opportunities for college freshman, sophomore, and junior students, particularly from underserved populations, to engage in the scientific process. The quality of research, the outstanding scientists and faculty we possess, and the synergy between the two elevates The Scripps Research Institute to a unique place for developing and educating students for the STEM fields and helping the United States regain its competitiveness.

The SFSI offers its diverse participants an academic structure that integrates cutting-edge hands-on laboratory research with professional skills development and mentoring. Each of the major program components – (1) curriculum and professional development workshops; (2) research experiences – is made up of several elements that work together and provides a stepwise approach to improving interns’ critical thinking skills, scientific preparation skills, knowledge base, and research expertise; and (3) mentored training in scientific presentation. All three of these components are designed to prepare program participants for success in graduate school and beyond. The heart of the program is the hands-on research experience in one of our 200 state-of-the-art laboratories where interns learn the scientific process by participating in the scientific process side-by-side with our world renowned faculty and scientists. As an adjunct to the lab research, interns attend themed weekly professional development workshops and scientific seminars where they are expected to read current scientific articles and lead discussions about the rationale behind the experiments, analyze the work critically, and engage in scientific discourse with their peers.

The program has seen a significant increase in the number of applications every year. Of particular note is the steady increase in applications from underrepresented populations; the number of applications from Hispanics rose 22% from 2015 to 2016, while the number from African Americans rose 23% from 2015 to 2017. Even more important than the number of applications received from each group was the significant increase in the percentage of underrepresented minority students enrolled in the program from 2015 to 2016.

One of the initiatives that has yielded significant dividends toward increased minority application is our outreach to the minority institutions and students. Graduate Office staff and graduate students attend conferences to raise awareness of the SFSI program. Here is an abbreviated list of the conferences and schools we visit on an annual basis: Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS); NIH Graduate and Professional School Graduate School Fair; Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS); National Organization of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE); American Association of Advancement in Science (AAAS); American Chemical Society (ACS); Society for Neuroscience (SFN); Southeastern Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society (SERMACS); Spelman College; University of Puerto Rico, Cayey; Morehouse College; Michigan State University’s Drew Program; University of Maryland Baltimore County’s Meyerhoff Scholars Program; Concordia College; and Williams College,

There have been three SFSI classes to date (2015-2017) and the impact of the program is beginning to emerge. The goal is to spark interest in biomedical research early, increase the participants’ aptitude and help the participants identify with a scientific career. Many of the SFSI alumni have applied to biomedical graduate programs. At the end of summer 2017, there are 30 alumni of the program. Six of them (20%) have applied to TSRI’s Graduate Program and five have been accepted. Although we are talking about statistics of small numbers, the offer rate is an astonishing 83%.  Even more important than the offer rate is the yield rate, three SFSI alumni have matriculated into the Scripps Graduate Program (50%).

Last Modified: 12/31/2017
Modified by: Dawn Eastmond