REU Site: Interdisciplinary REU in the Structure and Function of Proteins

Regents Of The University Of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor MI

Investigators

Abstract

This REU Site award to the University of Michigan, located in Ann Arbor, MI, will support the training of 10 students for 10 weeks during the summers of 2019-2021. Participants will conduct research in the areas of biochemistry, biophysics, computational chemistry, enzymology, molecular biology and plant biology. The research projects featured in this program mostly involve studies of the structure and function of proteins. In addition to the research activity, students will participate in a journal club and a series of weekly seminars focused on ethics, scientific communication, career paths in science and graduate school admissions. Rising sophomores, juniors or seniors majoring in a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) discipline are eligible for participation. Interested students must have an interest in pursuing a graduate degree (MS or PhD) and/or a career in a STEM discipline. All participants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Applications will be reviewed by an admissions committee consisting of several faculty mentors and the PI. Decisions will be made by mid/late March. It is anticipated that a total of 30 students, primarily from schools with limited opportunities for research, will be trained in the program. Students who are from underrepresented ethnic/racial groups and those who are US veterans or 1st generation college students are strongly encouraged to apply. Students will learn how research is conducted, and many will present the results of their work at scientific conferences. A common web-based assessment tool, used by all REU Site programs funded by the Division of Biological Infrastructure (DBI), will be used to determine the effectiveness of the training program. Additional evaluations and assessments of the program and its impact will be conducted. Students will be tracked after the program in order to determine their career paths and post-program activities. Students will be asked to respond to an automatic email sent via the NSF reporting system. More information about the program is available by visiting https://pharmacy.umich.edu/reu, or by contacting the PI (Dr. Cherie Dotson at crdotson@umich.edu) or the co-PI (Dr. Emily Scott at scottee@umich.edu). This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.