This award provides funds to the Biology department of Temple University to support a Research Experiences for Undergraduates site for a combined academic year and summer program. This program will draw on Temple's extensive experience with undergraduate research as part of the academic year research program, and also incorporate elements of the Temple University Basic Science Summer Minority Program which has been in effect for the past two years. The goal of this program is to provide a rich research environment and a sense of community among promising students in order to encourage them to enter careers in the biological sciences. To achieve this goal, the program will have two major components. The first of these is continued academic year participation in research projects by students enrolled at Temple. The second is an intensive Summer research program in which at least 40% of the participates will be from outside Temple. Academic year students will have the opportunity to participate in the Summer program. In both components special effort will be made to attract under- represented minority students. The program will focus on a multifaceted approach to the subject of Light in Biological Systems, employing approaches from Biochemistry, Physiology, Genetics and Plant Science.
