This REU Site award to Johns Hopkins University, located in Baltimore, MD, will support the training of 10 students for 10 weeks during the summers of 2017- 2019. The award is supported by the Divisions of Biological Infrastructure (BIO), Chemistry (MPS) and Engineering Education and Centers (ENG). Research is conducted in various labs of the Rosetta Commons (www.rosettacommons.org) located throughout the United States and abroad. The program consists of a 1-week boot camp where students learn computer coding and structural biology, 8 weeks of research in distributed labs, and a final week together at the Rosetta Conference. During the research period, students will complete an independent research project under the mentorship of a host lab, participate in weekly virtual journal clubs, prepare research proposals, and prepare a poster for presentation at the conference. Upon completion of the REU program, students will gain an understanding of how to investigate biological problems from a structural perspective; experience computational molecular design; acquire a solid foundation in research methodologies in biochemistry, biophysics, computational biology, and molecular engineering; gain skills to collaborate with other scientists and engineers in other laboratories globally; and gain a deeper appreciation for the contributions that improved technology in these areas can make to society.
It is anticipated that a total of 30 students, primarily from schools with limited research opportunities, will be trained in the program. Recruiting and outreach efforts focus on women and underrepresented minorities, and the program will recruit at outreach conferences like the Grace Hopper Conference and the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students. Students will have the opportunity to present and/or publish their work.
A common web-based assessment tool used by all REU Site programs funded by the Division of Biological Infrastructure will be used to determine the effectiveness of the training program. Students will be tracked after the program to determine their career paths. Students will be asked to respond to an automatic email sent via the NSF reporting system. More information about the program is available by visiting www.rosettacommons.org/intern, or by contacting the PI (Dr. Jeffrey J. Gray at jgray@jhu.edu) or the program administrator (Ms. Camille Mathis at cmathis@jhu.edu).
