The MIT Summer Research Program (MSRP) began in 1986 as an institutional \neffort to address the issue of underrepresentation of African Americans, \nMexican Americans, Native Americans, and Puerto Ricans in engineering \nand science in the United States. Today, this program seeks to identify \ntalented sophomores and juniors from a broader array of backgrounds and \nfrom around the country who might benefit from spending a summer on MIT's \ncampus, working in a research laboratory under the guidance of experienced \nscientists and engineers, who are MIT faculty members, postdoctoral fellows, \nand advanced graduate students. Students who participate in this program \nwill be better prepared and motivated to pursue advanced degrees, thereby \nhelping to sustain a rich talent pool in critical fields of scientific investigation.