This renewal application seeks continued support for an annual one-day meeting that highlights undergraduate research spanning the disciplines of Chemistry and Biology. The goals of this event are oriented toward nurturing Undergraduate interest, among a diverse population, in biomedical research and involve: (1) providing a high- energy affirmative event that places an individual's scientific endeavors in the larger context of the array of endeavors spanning biological and chemical research;(2) vigorously soliciting, and obtaining, the participation of substantial numbers of those underrepresented in the biomedical research enterprise;and (3) enhancing young scientist's awareness of the interface, and in many cases the intimate linkages, between chemical and biological research problems. We seek to sustain a regional Symposium that promotes top quality undergraduate science across and between the two major disciplines of chemistry and biology. In its present form, it is an energetic and dynamic forum;welcoming of and promoting the diversity of participants that is atypical of current cohort of research-active PhD scientists. With the past support we feel that we are accomplishing the above. Given our resources and the need to maintain an intimate and supportive conference structure, we seek support for a steady state attendance of about 200 presentations.
This application requests funds for an annual Undergraduate Research Symposium at which solely undergraduate students participate in a one-day event comprising two poster sessions. This conference at University of Maryland Baltimore County has completed its 11th year. This is a very positive experience involving a very diverse student group and it motivates students toward careers in scientific research. The conference sub-theme is research at the Chemistry-Biology interface and so many students are exposed and encouraged toward research disciplines that bear on the national need for a diverse workforce oriented to problems of biomedical relevance.
