REU Site: Genes & the Environment: Research Experiences for Undergraduates from Rural & Tribal colleges

This REU Site award to University of North Dakota (UND), Grand Forks, ND will support the training of 12 students for 10 weeks during the summers of 2023-2025. Research is conducted either at UND or at participating rural and tribal colleges through a hybrid-remote research program. It is anticipated that a total of 36 students, primarily from rural and tribal colleges and from schools that have limited research opportunities, will be trained in this program.

Students may select from research that represents a wide array of biological fields including cell biology, developmental biology, genetics, molecular biology, neuroscience, and systems biology. Students will also participate in weekly seminars and workshops on topics such as scientific writing and presentations, responsible and ethical conduct of research, diversity and inclusion in STEM, mentoring and applying to graduate programs.

Students will present their research during a poster symposium at the end of the program. Assessment of the program will be done through the online SALG URSSA tool. The NSF ETAP system will be used to register participants (https://www.nsfetap.gov/). Students will be tracked after the program to determine their career paths.

The theme of this REU program is Genes and the Environment, which broadly explores the intersection of molecular biology and genetic responses to numerous environmental factors. Research topics span the depth and breadth of biological sciences, involving the Departments of Biology and Biomedical Sciences. Students will engage in leading-edge biological research, as well as gain professional development through weekly seminars.

These seminars will include research talks by involved faculty, workshops in scientific writing, and training in DEIA+ issues and ethical conduct of research. This project will also recruit and mentor students that do not have access to traditional REU programs via the hybrid-remote research experience. We anticipate that, after the REU, students from these institutions will share their experiences and that this will strengthen science education and research in their communities.

More information about this program is available by visiting http://ndinbre.org/NSF-REU/ or by contacting the PI (Dr. Van Doze at [email protected]) or the Co-PI (Dr. Rebecca Simmons at [email protected]). This site is supported by the Department of Defense in 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.