An award has been made to Kansas State University (KSU) to establish an Undergraduate Research and Mentoring (URM) program. The program will provide up to two-year research experiences in ecological genomics to five cohorts of scholars (six students per cohort) starting in spring 2011 and continuing through winter 2015. Each scholar will be paired with a faculty member linked to the KSU Ecological Genomics Institute, an intercollege research group whose research spans multiple levels in the biological hierarchy. EGI participants seek to understand the genetic mechanisms underlying the short- and long-term organism responses to the natural environment. URM scholars will be integrated into EGI labs where they will develop early in their career (1) an appreciation for integrative scientific approaches to hypothesis based research, (2) critical thinking skills, and (3) a desire to continue their education in graduate level study. By the end of their tenure in the program, scholars will be well positioned for admission into highly competitive graduate programs in ecology and evolution. The KSU-URM program will include three main components: (1) a summer field course, (2) up to two years of independent research, mentored directly by faculty, (3) enhancement activities to foster cohort-building and networking, peer mentoring, communication skills building, ethics training, and career development, and (4) research presentations at professional meetings. Scholars will investigate a diversity of projects built around the expertise of the faculty mentors, including (1) the ecological and evolutionary genomics of adaptation, (2) speciation/hybridization, and evolutionary and comparative genomics, (3) genomics and ecology of species interactions, and (4) population and conservation genomics. Scholars will be selected based on an application packet, academic record, and the desire to create a diverse cohort of URM scholars that span the spectra of gender, racial, disability, and ethnic diversity. Evaluation of program success is planned through monitoring of student accomplishments and outcomes. More information is available at http://ecogen.ksu.edu/, or by contacting Samantha Wisely (wisely@ksu.edu) or Ari Jumpponen (ari@ksu.edu).

Agency
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Institute
Division of Biological Infrastructure (DBI)
Type
Standard Grant (Standard)
Application #
1041199
Program Officer
Sally O'Connor
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
2011-01-01
Budget End
2016-09-30
Support Year
Fiscal Year
2010
Total Cost
$749,919
Indirect Cost
Name
Kansas State University
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Manhattan
State
KS
Country
United States
Zip Code
66506