The National Institute on Drug Abuse awarded a $262,136 Project Grant (CFDA 93.279 - Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs) to Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey to develop an undergraduate research program, the "TRUE RARC Scholar Program," that promotes the advancement of students from underrepresented groups in the field of addiction research. The program aims to: 1) create a three-course sequence to teach students about addiction research and data science methods, 2) engage 10 or more underrepresented students in six-month mentored research experiences in Rutgers Addiction Research Center (RARC) faculty labs, and 3) provide professional development opportunities to prepare students for graduate school and research careers. Additionally, the program will create a national web repository to publicly disseminate educational content, expanding the impact beyond Rutgers. This grant-funded initiative is intended to build a pipeline of diverse talent into addiction research fields and create associated national resources.