A REU site award has been made to the University of Notre Dame, Department of Biological Sciences to provide research training for 10 weeks for 12 students during summers 2013-2016. The program, "Integrative Cell and Molecular Biology", will provide students with independent research projects within an interdisciplinary research community. Participants will formulate their research project and proposal with their mentor, speak about their work at the beginning of the summer and present their results at the end of the summer at the Regional Summer Symposium. A weekly seminar program will be included to develop students' intellectual and professional skills, as well as to educate them about various career paths in biological sciences. In addition, students will attend interactive workshops on integrative research, ethics and responsible conduct of research, the publication process, scientific writing, and graduate school applications. The underlying aim of the program is to give students strong incentives for pursuing careers in research. Students will be recruited through general and targeted approaches with partner institutions. Underrepresented minority students and students who do not have access to research at their home institutions are encouraged to apply. Students will be selected based on academic record, the quality of the personal statement/cover letter, recommendation letters, a sincere desire to pursue a research career, and potential for outstanding research in cell/molecular biology. Participant tracking data will be obtained using a background, pre-program, post-program, and alumni survey. In addition, the BIO REU common assessment tool will be used. Continued contact with each participant will take place through planning for conference presentations, encouraging students to pursue additional research, and preparation for graduate school. More information and application materials are available at http://nd.edu/~biosreu/, or by contacting the PI (Dr. Michelle Whaley, (574) 631-9343 , Michelle.A.Whaley.3@nd.edu) or the co-PI (Dr. David Hyde, (574) 631-8054, David.R.Hyde.1@nd.edu).
