IQ-Bio-REU: Interdisciplinary and Quantitative Biology Research Experience for Undergraduates

University Of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras, San Juan PR

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 the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, located in San Juan, PR, will support the training of 10 students for 9 weeks during the summers of 2022-2024. It is anticipated that a total of 30 students, primarily from schools with limited research opportunities, will be trained in the program. Undergraduate students in any STEM field, particularly individuals from groups historically underrepresented in science, are encouraged to apply. Students will participate in a scholarly environment throughout the summer including the presentation of their work to the research community at UPRRP. After participating in the program, students will be encouraged to present their work at national and international conferences. A common web-based assessment tool used by all REU Site programs funded by the Division of Biological Infrastructure will be used to determine the effectiveness of the training program. Students will be tracked after the program to determine their career paths. Students will be asked to respond to an automatic email sent via the NSF reporting system. Participants will be immersed in a mentored research project that allows for the exploration of biology using computational and quantitative tools, such as: the application of statistics to the life sciences, the integration of quantitative analyses towards understanding molecular changes in organisms, and the use of big data and machine learning approaches to document the effects of climate change on biological systems. Through skill development workshops and hackathons, students will receive training and practice for fluency in research techniques related to data analysis and visualization, computing, and bioinformatics. Career development workshops will offer guidance in the process of applying to graduate school, obtaining funds for research, and exposure to concepts and theories that will help participants navigate career transitions in science. The criteria for evaluation of student application will be academic performance and a demonstrated interest in pursuing a career in science at the intersection of biology and computational sciences. More information about the program is available by visiting http://iqbioreu.uprrp.edu, or by contacting the PI (Dr. Juan S. Ramírez-Lugo at juan.ramirez3@upr.edu) or the co-PI (Dr. Esther Peterson at esther.peterson@upr.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.