This Boston University REU Site will provide research internships to undergraduate students during the summers of 2009-2012. This REU Site is supported by the NSF REU Program and by the Department of Defense through the Awards to Stimulate and Support Undergraduate Research Experiences (ASSURE) program. The program, coordinated by the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) will award Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) to ten students, especially those from underrepresented minority groups, who will be provided support for a 10-week research experience each summer. Applications from well-qualified students within all STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) are welcome. Research projects available to students use cross-disciplinary approaches to biological problems, primarily as they relate to effects of environmental cues on organismal or cellular responses. Molecular, cellular, behavioral, ecological, chemical, computational, and engineering methods are used to address biological problems. Students will acquire in-depth knowledge of a number of related areas and learn skills required to integrate information from several disciplines. Students will be matched to research teams consisting of a faculty and graduate student mentor within a given research lab. Students will attend weekly summer workshops on scientific publication, graduate school admissions, and scientific ethics. Students will also give several oral presentations during the summer and will return to Boston University in the fall semester to present at the Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium. Social events designed to integrate students into the research environment are included. Research stipends, housing and travel are provided. More information is available from Professor Tom Gilmore, Director (Tel 607-353-5444, gilmore@bu.edu) or Kate Sutlive, Program Manager (Tel 617-353-2020, urop@bu.edu), or by visiting www.bu.edu/surf.
