REU in Neural Science

New York University, New York NY

Investigators

Abstract

Support from the NSF REU Site Grant will enable the Center for Neural Science at New York University to support an established, successful summer undergraduate research program (SURP). SURP was founded as a model program in 1990 and has continued ever since at a reduced level through funds derived from individual grants and institutional funds. Support from the NSF REU Site Grant will make it possible to regularize and expand the program, reach out to students beyond NYU, thereby impact a broader student population. Under-represented minorities, women and undergraduates from small colleges that are limited in resources for equipment and research opportunities will be pursued actively, through collaboration with NYU's Faculty Resource Network., a consortium of 13 historically black colleges and universities in the South and 15 regional liberal arts colleges, together representing over 100,000 undergraduates and over 8,300 faculty members. Eight to ten undergraduates, mostly between their sophomore and junior years, who have demonstrated keen interest in basic neural science research and with a GPA minimum of 3.0 will be chosen every summer from a pool of approximately 100 applicants. First-hand research experience will be made available to these students by placing them in one of the CNS labs, ranging in subfields from theoretical neurobiology, sensory physiology, behavioral and molecular investigation of emotional memory, to cellular and molecular basis of brain development and recovery from injuries. Their education, training, and progress will be fostered and monitored using a three-tiered system, consisting of the following: (1) one-to-one, daily interactions with a mentor and affiliated members of the host lab; (2) weekly and bi-weekly group luncheons, overseen by the director, during which self-assessments are made and a lecture series is scheduled; and (3) close, week-by-week coaching of each student's skills in oral and written presentations, leading up to a Symposium and preparation of a written report during the last week of the program that describe the rationale, hypothesis, outcome and interpretation of data generated from the summer research activity. As in the past, the CNS SURP's seminar series and social functions will run conjointly with those of the NYU Washington Square Campus's Leadership Alliance program in Social Studies and NYU Medical School's Sacklar Institute Minority Undergraduate Summer Research Program in Biomedical Sciences. These joint functions, together with a variety of social and cultural activities that will be planned over lunches, dinners, after-hours and week-ends for the CNS SURP group, will provide students with opportunities to be part of a large group of undergraduate and graduate students, post-docs, and faculty. This program will ensure that the CNS SURP students obtain a realistic view about diversity in scientific inquiries, style, and gain opportunities to chat casually about practical issues of becoming a scientist, such as family planning, balance between personal life and work environment, opportunities and options for PhDs and MD-PhDs, etc. while also enjoying York City's rich collection of culture and research institutions.