This decade-long interdisciplinary REU program, Research Internships in Neural and Behavioral Sciences at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ, will provide hands-on research experience for 8 Native American, African American, Hispanic, or Asian/ Pacific Islander students, including female students and White students who are the first in their family to attend college or university. Students will conduct research in neural and behavioral sciences under the guidance of scientists from the Department of Biological Sciences and the Department of Psychology. The 10-week summer research internship will integrate 7 major components: (1) Faculty mentors will provide hands-on research experience to students in faculty laboratories, fostering the excitement of scientific discovery and allowing students to learn science by doing science. (2) Research faculty will present seminars in which they demonstrate research techniques, present their research results, and engage students in discussion. (3) Professional development seminars will provide instruction on how to apply to graduate school, and present scientific results at professional meetings. At seminars, students will also discuss ethical concerns in research. (4) Students will participate in weekly noon symposia where students can socialize, discuss primary literature in their respective research areas, and report the progress of their own work. (5) At the end of the summer, students will present the results of their projects in a joint poster session, ensuring that each student produces a tangible, research product at the end of 10 weeks. (6) After each summer program, students and mentors completing projects will submit a supplementary travel budget to attend a professional meeting in the winter or spring. This final component will allow students to present their research at a national or international stage. (7) During the summer, students will participate in a variety of educational, cultural and social activities. The Program will support travel and logistical support for these outings and activities, providing additional opportunities for discussion, exchange of ideas and fellowship.
The Program has four specific goals. The first two concern the outcome of student research activities, i.e., that students (a) produce tangible, research results during the 10-week program, and (b) present and/or publish these results as science professionals. The second two goals concern the impact of research training on student careers, and ultimately on the composition of the future scientific workforce. Thus, a quantitative method based on evolutionary selection analysis will be used to assess the rates at which members of different under-represented student groups (c) proceed through the selection process, relative to other student groups, and after completing this Program, the rates at which students (d) continue their education and/or pursue careers in science, relative to other student populations. This method not only shows the significant contributions the Program has already made in support of students from under-represented backgrounds in science, but also provides a means for assessing the success of other similar programs
Application information, student presentations from previous years and information on the Program are available at http//:jan.ucc.nau.edu/~shuster, or from Emily Omana at NAU (928-523-8694; fax: 928-523-7500).
