There is widespread recognition within the biological sciences community that the most common models of undergraduate biology education may not be the most effective means of training the next generation of biologists and scientifically literate citizens. This awareness, combined with rapid and ongoing developments in many biological disciplines and increased diversity in the institutions and settings in which biology is taught, has stimulated interest in exploring new approaches to undergraduate biology education. Faculty from seven institutions, including two community colleges, two undergraduate colleges, a MS-granting university, and two PhD-granting universities will participate in a workshop to share and develop ideas regarding the use of genome annotation as a tool to involve undergraduate biology students in meaningful research. Advantages of this approach include both its relatively low cost, and hence suitability for institutions without large research budgets, and the fact that students will be able to make meaningful contributions to a larger scientific effort. The broader impacts of this workshop include significant communication among faculty from a diverse group of institutions, and potentially large benefits to the biological sciences education community.
