FGLSAMP Program

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The Florida/Georgia Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Project (FGLSAMP) is one of 25 projects currently supported by NSF under the umbrella of the Alliances for Minority Participation (AMP) Programs. The FGLSAMP is a coalition of 13 academic institutions, including the University of Miami , which is committed to increasing the production of minority graduates in science, engineering, and mathematics.

ELIGIBILITY

Graduating high school seniors who have an interest in pursuing research in biomedical engineering are encouraged to apply.  Applicants must be one of the following under-represented minorities:

African American

Hispanic American

Native American

Pacific Islander

Graduating seniors should be in the top 20% of their class.  Upon acceptance into FGLSAMP, students must major in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Miami .

FINANCIAL and ACADEMIC SUPPORT

FGLSAMP students receive renewable scholarships from $2,000 up to $3,000 annually.

Activities implemented to aid the retention and progression of students include:

  • Summer bridge programs
  • Peer study groups
  • Graduate school preparation institutes
  • Faculty-directed undergraduate research projects
  • Summer internships
  • Faculty and peer mentoring
  • Graduate level mentorship.

REQUIREMENTS

Upon acceptance into the FGLSAMP program, students are enrolled in the following course sequence:

First Semester Freshman Year: 

BIL 113     1 Credit Seminar

Topics in Biomedicine

 

Second Semester Freshman Year:

BIL 114     1 Credit Seminar

Topics in Biomedicine II

 

First Semester Sophomore Year:

BIL 374     1 Credit Seminar

Responsible Conduct in Research

 

Second Semester Sophomore Year:

BIL 299     2 Credits

Seminar in Research Problems

 

Junior Year:

Students should begin working in labs and writing research in thesis format

Special Problems in BME (415) 1-3 credits

 

Senior Year:

Continued Research

Special Problems in BME (415) 1-3 credits

 

RESEARCH PHILOSOPHY

All student research projects must be based on a biomedical problem. The student will have a significant role:

Designing the plan of the research

Making the observations and carrying out the activities

Interpreting the data.

The student, as the primary person responsible for the conduct of the research project, must be able to explain and defend everything in the FGLSAMP FINAL RESEARCH PAPER.

RESEARCH PROPOSAL

1. A concise descriptive title of the study;

2. A brief statement of the historical background and logical context of the study;

3. A statement of the overall significance of the study;

4. A clear statement of the general question and the specific objectives;

5. A brief description of the methods that will used to address the problem, and an explanation of how the methods will provide the data necessary to answer the question;

6. One or two key references to relevant published work.

FGLSAMP MENTORS

The Faculty Mentor is usually chosen by the student, based on the faculty member’s knowledge of, or general interest in, the field of the student’s research. The BME Department Faculty Mentor advises BME 415 and is responsible for turning in the student’s grades for these courses.  The Faculty Mentor should also:

  1. Help ensure that the student fulfills all the requirements of the FGAMP Program;
  2. Help develop, and comment on the written research proposal (BME 415);
  3. Monitor the student’s progress during the research semesters; for example, by means of regularly scheduled meetings every two weeks;
  4. Assist the student in the preparation of the required public presentations (scientific poster, oral presentation of research);
  5. Assist the student in the writing of the FGLSAMP final report, reading and commenting on early drafts, and reading final version.

FGLSAMP FINAL RESEARCH

  • The report written should be suitable for publication in a biomedical journal. Sections must include:

1.   Abstract

2.  Introduction

3.  Materials/Methods

4.  Results

5.  Discussion

(This section must: interpret results, draw conclusions, and recommend direction for future studies.)

  • The mentor closely consults with the student throughout the writing, and the FGLSAMP Coordinator determines whether or not the thesis meets the standards of the Program.
  • Additionally, all FGLSAMP students are required to present their research in a poster format during the INQUIRY session in April.
  • Students who submit their reports for graduation Summa cum Laude or Magna cum Laude, must follow the strict thesis format requirements of the General Honors Program.

For More Information, Contact:

Dr. Michael Gaines, m.gaines@miami.edu

215 Cox Science Center

Coral Gables , FL33124-0421