REU Site: Molecular Biology and Genetics of Cell Signaling

Cornell University, Ithaca NY

Investigators

Abstract

This REU Site award to Cornell University, located in Ithaca, NY, will support the training of 10 students for 10 weeks during the summers of 2020- 2022. It is anticipated that a total of 30 students, primarily from schools with limited research opportunities or are from an under-represented group, will be trained in the program. Students will learn how research is conducted, and many will present the results of their work at scientific conferences. Assessment of the program will be done through the online SALG URSSA tool. Students will be tracked after the program in order to determine their career paths. The goal of this program is to provide a formative research experience for talented undergraduate students, especially those from underrepresented and disadvantaged groups, that will motivate them to pursue a career in research, help them to be competitive for admission to research intensive graduate programs, and increase their success in these programs. The research focus is in the area of molecular signaling, a process that is fundamental to almost every cellular event. Training faculty are selected from various departments across the campus based on their research interests and their commitment to mentoring undergraduate research. In addition to conducting research in one of the participating labs, weekly REU group meetings with the program directors and various workshops provide students with a broad view of the signaling field in the general area of molecular sciences, opportunities to improve their communication skills, information about graduate school and careers in science, and awareness of responsible conduct of research. Students are also required to take pre- and post-program surveys for program assessment purposes. Students entering their sophomore, junior, or senior years, and majoring in the life sciences are encouraged to apply. Preference will be given to students with strong interest in gaining research experience in preparation for graduate study. Details on the application process, participating mentors and other information about the program are available by visiting https://mbg.cornell.edu/undergraduate/summer-research-experience/, or by contacting the PI (Dr. Kelly Liu at JL53@cornell.edu) or the co-PI (Dr. Tim Huffaker at tch4@cornell.edu). This award is supported by the Department of Defense ASSURE program thru a partnership with the NSF REU program. 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.