This award provides funds to support undergraduate students at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory for an intensive ten-week long summer research experience. The students are housed on grounds and each one is assigned to a permanent Laboratory staff member to perform an independent research project in the mentor's field of expertise. Each student begins his or her project with the advisor's close guidance and is subsequently encouraged to work independently. This allows students to develop to their full potential and to sample first hand the excitement of experimental science. During the program, the students present two series of seminars: one in which the students describe their proposed research and a final series in which the results of each project are summarized. There is also a series of seminars specifically for the undergraduates in addition to daily lectures given as part of the Laboratory series of post-graduate biology courses. This undergraduate research program is very oversubscribed and, therefore, focuses on selection of individuals who, with proper direction, are likely to make a contribution to science in their ensuing careers. Strong emphasis is placed on recruiting minorities to encourage them to pursue scientific careers.
