This REU Site award to the University of Missouri (MU), located in Columbia, MO, will support the training of 10 students for 10 weeks during the summers of 2017- 2019. MU is the largest institution of higher learning in Missouri and the flagship campus of the University of Missouri System. The program offers a wide range of very exciting interdisciplinary projects in neuroscience, with both wet-lab and computational components. The projects are drawn from all levels in neuroscience (i.e., intracellular/cellular, systems and behavioral levels), with participating faculty coming from the colleges of arts & science, engineering, and veterinary medicine. Starting with a 1-week boot camp, students attend a weekly class on computational neuroscience, conduct lab research as well as participate in various seminars and workshops on topics such as the responsible conduct of research, professional skills, career opportunities, and the graduate school application process. Each student will have the opportunity to write reports, and design and present a scientific poster. They will form part of a group of 100+ undergraduate researchers from all over U.S. who participate each summer in a vibrant summer research program (http://undergradresearch.missouri.edu/). All participants will be recruited from outside MU, and selected based on academic record, research performance, and potential for research in neuroscience. Participant support during the REU experience will include a stipend, lodging and food, travel to and from the university, and funding for the research project.
It is anticipated that a total of 30 students, primarily from schools with limited research opportunities, will be trained in the program. Applications from underrepresented groups and minority institutions are encouraged.
A common web-based assessment tool used by all REU Site programs funded by the Division of Biological Infrastructure will be used to determine the effectiveness of the training program. Students will be tracked after the program in order to determine their career paths. Students will be asked to respond to an automatic email sent via the NSF reporting system. More information about the program is available by visiting http://engineering.missouri.edu/neuroreu/, or by contacting the PI (Dr. Satish S. Nair at nairs@missouri.edu) or co-PI (Dr. David J. Schulz at schulzd@missouri.edu).
