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