MARC Program > MARC–WSU Program Eligibility

MARC–WSU Program Eligibility

The goal of the MARC program is to increase the number of students who are traditionally underrepresented in STEM careers that emphasize biomedical research.

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Underrepresented Background Eligibility Requirement

Students participating in the program must meet one of three eligibility requirements that are associated with having a background that is traditionally underrepresented among people with STEM careers.

  1. Individuals from racial and ethnic groups that have been shown by the National Science Foundation to be underrepresented in health-related sciences on a national basis. On the application, please check the appropriate boxes, if any, in the Demographics section that apply to you.
    1. Blacks or African American
    2. Hispanics or Latinx
    3. American Indians or Alaska Natives
    4. Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders
  2. Individuals with disabilities that substantially limits one or more major life activities, as described in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended. On the application, please check the appropriate boxes, if any, in the Demographics section that apply to you.
    1. Visual disability
    2. Hearing disability
    3. Walking disability
    4. Lifting disability
    5. Other
  3. Individuals from low socioeconomic status backgrounds, defined as those who meet two or more of the following criteria. Please check those that apply to you. On the application, please check the appropriate boxes, if any, in the Demographics section that apply to you.
    1. Grew up in one of the following areas: i) a U.S. rural area, as designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer, or ii) a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services-designated Low-Income and Health Professional Shortage Area (qualifying zipcodes are included in the file). (Please note: Even if you grew up in both a U.S. rural area and a Low-Income and Health Professional Shortage Area, this would still only count toward one of two needed criteria for being considered an individual from a low socioeconomic status background.)
    2. Have/had no parents or legal guardians who completed a bachelor’s degree (i.e., you are a first-generation college student).
    3. Were or currently are eligible for Federal Pell grants.
    4. Were or currently are homeless, as defined by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.
    5. Were or currently are in the foster care system.
    6. Received support from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) as a parent or child.
    7. Were eligible for the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program for two or more years.

Additional Eligibility Requirements

In addition to coming from a background that is traditionally underrepresented in STEM, students must also meet the following additional requirements to be eligible for the WSU-MARC program.

  • Have a career goal of earning a doctoral degree in biomedical and/or behavioral research.
  • Have sophomore or junior status with two years left before graduation at the time of application submission. (That is, students with a freshman or senior class standing are not eligible.)
  • Be available the week before classes begin in the fall.
  • Be in one of the following majors: Biology, Biochemistry, Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Genetics and Cell Biology, Materials Science, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Microbiology, Neuroscience, Physics, Zoology.
  • Be a full-time student on the Pullman campus with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
  • Have U.S. citizenship or residency.