ReBUILDetroit Program

Your success isn’t just about where you go to college; it’s about the entire educational experience.

University of Detroit Mercy is proud to be part of ReBUILDetroit Pathways Program, which offers intensive training for students interested in pursuing academic, research or industry careers in biomedical social sciences. ReBUILDetroit Pathways Scholars experience the excitement of scientific discovery through direct participation in research while preparing for graduate school onto career paths in exciting and in-demand biomedical disciplines.

Program benefits include:

  • Paid, faculty-mentored research (summer after first academic year)
  • Extensive mentoring in and outside the classroom
  • Programming to prepare you for graduate school
  • Networking opportunities with academic and industry leaders

Eligibility Requirements

  • Incoming freshmen or transfer student meeting National Institutes of Health eligibility criteria 
  • Major in an approved BUILD major which includes biology and chemistry
  • High school or college GPA of at least 3.0
  • U.S. citizen or permanent residence
  • Strong desire to pursue graduate-level studies, especially at the doctoral level
  • Strong desire to learn about conducting formal research and engaging in real-world projects
  • Participate in the Summer Enrichment Program
  • Be selected through a competitive review process

Application Requirements

Arren Simpson in the iNSPIRE Lab

Mentoring

Mentoring plays a significant role in the ReBUILDetroit Pathways Program, giving participants a built-in support network. Faculty mentoring cultivates ReBUILDetroit Pathways Scholars’ academic interests, networks and career development, while peer mentoring provides social/emotional support for transitioning to university. Progress toward graduation is tracked through proactive academic advising and career coaching tracks, research and graduate work.

To best meet the needs of ReBUILDetroit Scholars, the ReBUILDetroit consortium shares, designs and improves evidence-based practices that foster student engagement and maximize student success.

Academic programming

For potential ReBUILDetroit Scholars, the program begins the summer before university begins, and continues throughout their undergraduate careers. The program’s focus on research methodology and practice readies students for the challenges of graduate school.

Summer 1 (pre-university): Summer Enrichment ReBUILDetroit Pathways Program.

Year 1: Research methodology courses with authentic laboratory research experiences.

Summer 2: Intensive, funded, faculty-mentored laboratory research.

Summer Enrichment Program at Detroit Mercy

Students who meet the requirements of the ReBUILDetroit Pathways Program will be invited to participate in the Summer ReBUILDetroit Pathways Program, a multi-weekday program at Detroit Mercy’s McNichols Campus.

For more information or to apply to Detroit Mercy’s ReBUILDetroit Program, contact the Office of Admissions at 800-635-5020 or email admissions@udmercy.edu.

About the consortium

ReBUILDetroit is a partnership among University of Detroit Mercy, Wayne State University  and pipeline partner Henry Ford College, supported by a $21.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health. The consortium is committed to encouraging more undergraduate students from underrepresented or economically disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue careers in biomedical research.

To learn more about the consortium, visit

Belle Isle Research Experiment