The long term objective of UCSC- MIRT is to actively engage underrepresented minority students in on-going, long term international, biomedically relevant research projects conducted in environment in collaboration with students and faculty from the host country. With a long tradition of both graduate and undergraduate research training, UCSC offers challenging and unique biological field research opportunities that combine rich and stimulating cultural experience with productive and creative scientific research training. These experiences have provided UCSC-MIRT students with broader international scientific and educational perspectives, increased self confidence and independence, plus substantial improvements in technical expertise. This has resulted in a satisfying increase in the number of UCSC underrepresented minority students choosing advanced scientific training and consequently the leadership of the next generation of biomedical scientists and academic faculty. The research will focus on the biology of the several vertebrate species along the Patagonian coast of Argentina and the Gulf of California in Sonora, Mexico.

Program home page: http://bio.research.ucsc.edu/mirt/