REU SITE: Program in Molecular Biosciences

Colorado State University, Fort Collins CO

Investigators

Abstract

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2). This REU Site award to Colorado State University, located in Fort Collins, CO, will support the training of 10 students for 10 weeks during the summers of 2022- 2024. It is anticipated that a total of 30 students, primarily from schools with limited research opportunities or 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. A primary goal of this REU site is to broaden the participation of members of underrepresented groups (minority students, particularly from four year colleges with limited research opportunities). Society will benefit from a greater number of better-trained molecular bioscience researchers and educator role models, particularly from underrepresented groups. 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. This REU program exposes undergraduates to the broad range of research areas and approaches that constitute the modern discipline of molecular life sciences. Participants work with faculty from a range of life science, physical science, agriculture science and engineering departments. Potential research projects include HIV-1 protease autoprocessing, aging, renewable energy, protein misfolding, crab molting control, plant-bacteria interactions, thermophilic microbe DNA-dependent processes, complex macroscopic material engineering. The program provides workshops on science communication (oral, written, poster) and responsible conduct of research (ethical theory, misconduct, notebook keeping, mentor/mentee relationships, the importance of diversity in science, etc.) and on the nature of graduate education, selecting and applying to graduate programs, fellowship opportunities, etc. The Program Director, the Co-Director and a committee of participating faculty members critically review both the substance and the operation of the program based on assessments of student gains, as well as participant quantitative and qualitative feedback. An online application requests demographic information, an unofficial transcript, two letters of nomination, and preferred research projects. Applications are evaluated according to student project choice. The program directors make a final ranking of the finalists. Offers are extended via email to the top ranked candidates until the 10 positions are filled. More information about the program is available by visiting https://www.bmb.colostate.edu/reu-program-description/ , or by contacting the PI (Dr. Paul Laybourn at paul.laybourn@colostate.edu ) or the co-PI (Dr. Lubna Tahtamouni at lubna.tahtamouni@colostate.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.