Formative Assessment for the Development of an Undergraduate Research Experience for College Students from Farmworker Families

College students from migrant and seasonal farmworker (MSFW) families face many barriers to educational attainment in the United States: sporadic schooling experiences, cultural and communication barriers, low pay, discrimination, and health issues from farm work. Retaining students from MSFW families in higher education and research is critical for addressing educational and health inequities. In an effort to develop experiences that could serve as a pipeline for MSFW undergraduate students into research careers, we conducted interviews to inform program development by exploring the research experiences of university students and recent graduates from MSFW families.