REU Site: Expanding Minority Research Opportunities in Cross-Disciplinary Biology

Trustees Of Boston University, Boston

Investigators

Abstract

This Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) at Boston University awards Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) to undergraduate students, especially those from underrepresented minority groups. Ten students will be provided support for a 10-week research experience each year. The main objectives of the program are to 1) provide students with a research experience that takes advantage of modern cross-disciplinary approaches in the STEM disciplines; 2) train students in research methods, scientific ethics, and the scientific culture; and 3) encourage underrepresented minority students to continue their education through graduate school. Applications from well-qualified students within all STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) including Computer Science are welcome. The research projects available to students use cross-disciplinary approaches to biological problems. Chemical, computational, and engineering methods are applied to developmental, molecular and neurobiological scientific questions. As a result, students will acquire in-depth knowledge of a number of related areas and learn the varied skills needed to integrate information from several disciplines. Exposure to a diverse set of projects will also aid the student in determining potential research areas they might like to pursue in graduate school. Students will be matched to research teams consisting of a faculty mentor and a graduate and undergraduate student within the mentor's lab. Students will give two oral presentations during the summer and will return to Boston University in the fall semester to present the results of their research in poster format at the university's Undergraduate Research Symposium. Additionally, they will attend weekly summer workshops on scientific publication, graduate school admissions, and scientific ethics. Social events designed to integrate students into the research environment are included throughout the summer experience. Research stipends, housing and travel are provided. More information is available from Professor Mary Erskine, Director, and Jeremy Goodman, Assistant Director, UROP, 617-353-2020, urop@bu.edu, or by visiting http://www.bu.edu/surf.