An award has been made to Pennsylvania State University - Harrisburg (PSH) that will provide research training for 10 weeks for 10 students in the summers of 2011-2013. A total of 30 students will experience a program focused on sustainable bioenergy production using techniques of biotechnology and molecular biology. Faculty mentors from PSH and nearby collaborating institutions will provide students with diverse and interdisciplinary projects. Included in the program are seminars and workshops. Students are expected to do full-time lab research as well as participate in seminars and various workshops, training in the responsible conduct in research, professional communication skills, career opportunities in industry and academia, and the graduate school application process. Fieldtrips to other research labs and commercial operations provide students real-world exposure. Students will have access to faculty mentors' facilities, interdepartmental labs, and the new biotechnology research facility (the Central Pennsylvania Teaching and Research Laboratory for Biofuels). The program will recruit sophomore and junior students mainly through electronic advertising on the NSF website and personal contact. Students will be selected based on academic merit, demonstrated research interest in biological fields, and potential for outstanding research in biotechnology, molecular biology or biochemistry. Students will be tracked after program completion to determine their continued interest in their academic field of study, their career paths, and the lasting influences of the research experience. The project will be evaluated by various means, including use of the common assessment tool developed for the REU program. More information is available by visiting http://harrisburg.psu.edu/reu/sustainable-bioenergy, or by contacting the PI (Dr. Rudrabhatla V. Sairam, svr11@psu.edu) or the Co-PI (Dr. Puthiyaparambil C. Josekutty, pcj11@psu.edu).
