This action funds an NSF Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for FY2003. The goal of the fellowship is to increase the participation of minority scientists at the postdoctoral level and to prepare them for positions of scientific leadership in academia and industry. To attain this goal, the fellowship provides opportunities for postdoctoral training and research of the highest quality to recent doctoral recipients. It is expected that Fellows supported through these fellowships will play important roles in training of the future workforce.
The research and training plan is entitled "Adaptive landscapes and the evolution of cooperation in RNA viruses." RNA bacteriophages present unique opportunities to explore the evolution of cooperation. When two or more viruses infect a cell, opportunities for cooperation or conflict arise. Interactions within the host between co-infecting viruses can affect the fitness of each and have various implications for the health of the host.
