The FReDS Program is intended to enhance the quality of teaching and the learning environment of students through support for faculty and/or student research, research training workshops, enhancement of an existing physiology lab, and accessing national databanks.
The specific aims of FReDS are: 1) to provide an institutional structure through which faculty can apply for and receive institutional support for individual research efforts on ADM related problems; 2) to provide research training workshops for faculty development; 3) to assist in the coordination and evaluation of research activities on the campus; 4) to conduct training workshops on research methodologies; 5) to assist students in research skill development; and 6) to underwrite attendance of faculty at seminars on scientific techniques. There will be established a FReDS Program Review Committee which will review, evaluate and recommend the type of support to be awarded individual research projects, and also evaluate the FReDS Program at the end of each fiscal year. The Review Committee will meet twice a year to receive, review, and evaluate the merit, appropriateness and quality of the proposed individual research project(s) submitted by faculty. Selection/Award criteria and the level of financial support available each fiscal year will be identified in the Spring of the academic year, for the following term, and made available to the faculty. Bennett students enrolled in honors or senior seminar courses will be encouraged to join faculty in developing research and empirical studies. Students enrolled in these courses will also be invited to submit application for available research assistantships through the FReDS program. The FReDS program director will conduct at least one research workshop, making appropriate use of consultants which would introduce Bennett faculty and students to various traditional, as well as new and innovative methodologies in research and data collection.
