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  1. Faculty Affairs
  2. SD IRACDA Postdoc Program
  3. Program
  4. Mentoring and Outreach

Mentoring and Outreach

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The goals of the IRACDA outreach/mentoring activities are to increase the number of students from our partner institutions that: 1) engage in authentic research at UCSD, 2) transfer to a 4-year institution, and/or 3) pursue graduate degrees in biomedical or behavioral sciences. Our program aims to enhance student scientific identity and provide diverse, early career role models to ensure the retention and advancement of students from historically underrepresented groups in STEM. Our fellows receive annual mentor training through the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER)​ that is then applied to activities at our partner institutions. 


At SDSU, we partner with the CASA programs to support the academic development program participants. This includes judging the Undergraduate Research Symposium, moderating mock-graduate school interviews, facilitating interdisciplinary journal clubs, and leading workshops on undergraduate research and graduate school funding opportunities. 

The San Diego IRACDA Program also leads an 8-week Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program for City College Students at UC San Diego. Students work with IRACDA Fellows to perform cutting-edge biomedical research and participate in weekly professional development activities designed and led by IRACDA Fellows.​