REU Site: Biology of Animal Movement and Performance

Brown University, Providence RI

Investigators

Abstract

This REU Site award to Brown University, located in Providence, RI, 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 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and minority-serving institutions (MSIs) will be trained in the program. Recruitment will occur in partnership with The Leadership Alliance, a consortium of approximately 35 academic institutions and partners across the US that seeks to both train and mentor underrepresented minority students in summer research programs, while providing continuous support for careers in academia and research. Students will learn how research is conducted and present the results of their work at the Leadership Alliance National Symposium, as well as at scientific conferences. Assessment of the program will be done through online surveys. Students will be tracked after the program to determine their career paths. The theme of this REU program centers on the biology of animal movement and performance. Mentors are scientists at Brown University who are closely affiliated with the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, and who study the causes and consequences of movement in a wide range of animal taxa. Students will therefore engage in projects that explore the biophysics of movement, physiological control of movement, function of movement, and significance of movement for evolution. Training in these areas of research will emphasize computational approaches to data analysis, whether through bioinformatics, modeling, or other forms of large-scale data analytics. Students will also engage in outreach efforts by working in local preschools to teach young children about animal diversity. Recruitment will occur in partnership with The Leadership Alliance, and applications will be evaluated by a small selection committee of Brown faculty who are also mentors in the program. Preference will be given to applicants who show a strong desire for training in integrative biology. More information about the program is available by visiting http://fuxjagerlab/reu.com or by contacting the PI (Dr. Matthew Fuxjager at matterhew_fuxjager@brown.edu) or the co-PI (Dr. Taiese Bingham-Hickman at taiese_bingham@brown.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.