REU: Marine Models in Biological Research

Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole MA

Investigators

Abstract

ABSTRACT Burris Proposal # DBI - 9912287 The Marine Models in Biological Research (MMBR) Program is an eight-week intensive research experience for undergraduates at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL). The MBL is an international center for research, education, and training in biology. From the time of its founding in 1888, the MBL has been known not only for the quality of its research, but also for its exceptional educational programs. Students in the MMBR program attend lectures and seminars, and conduct individual research projects under the guidance of faculty mentors. They attend workshops on laboratory safety, microscopy, and ethics, and are introduced to other research facilities in the area, such as the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Students are recruited by the following methods: via the MMBR web site that describes the program (http://www.wfu.edu/-browne/mmbr@ and is accessible through a link on the MBL home page, through the listing of the program on the NSF REU web site, through a poster describing the program which is sent to the undergraduate biology departments of regional colleges and universities, and by word-of-mouth by the mentors and former student participants. In addition to students who are supported by this NSF REU Site Grant, other students at MBL on individual REUs or through funding from their universities (typically two to four), also participate in the regularly scheduled MMBR activities, increasing the number of students who benefit from the program. Mentors are summer or year-round investigators at the Laboratory, drawn from throughout the country. They represent a wide range of institutions and research interests, and reflect the diversity of the MBL. Each mentor impresses upon his or her student that the project in which the student is engaged is part of a larger, ongoing, original research program and not just an academic exercise. The mentors are directed to explain how each student's work will contribute to long-range project goals, and the context and rationale of each project is made clear to the student. For eight weeks the students live and work as researchers.