The purpose of the MBRS Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE) Program is to enhance the research environment at minority- serving institutions, and increase the interest, skills, and competitiveness of students and faculty in pursuit of biomedical research careers. The goal of this program is to stimulate interest among underrepresented minority students and faculty in continuing to a career in biomedical research and thereby increase the number of underrepresented minority scientists engaged  in biomedical research.  The FIU MBRS RISE Program addresses the following objectives:

• Increase the interest in biomedical research and the number of students that view it as an achievable goal.

• Improve the retention and graduation rates of underrepresented minority undergraduate and graduate students in the biomedical sciences.

• Make underrepresented minority students more competitive for graduate school.

• Help underrepresented minority students to be successful in graduate 
  school and later in their careers.

• Stimulate the biomedical research environment at FIU.

FIU has, through a variety of academic programs, advanced study and research in the biomedical area at both the graduate and undergraduate levels.  The Department of Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Physics and Biomedical Engineering all offer BS and MS programs. Additionally, there are Ph.D. programs in Biology, Chemistry and Physics.  The university has established cooperative agreements, with two local hospitals.  These agreements allow faculty at the participating institutions to share facilities and resources in collaborative research.  Under the agreements, qualified research staff at these hospitals can supervise graduate student research.