This award provides funds to the Biology Department of Furman University to continue a successful Research Experiences for Undergraduates Site. The program will provide a stimulating biological research experience for 12 students this coming summer. Talented students will be recruited from Furman University and smaller, less research-oriented colleges in South Carolina. The program is especially aimed at women, minority students, and persons with disabilities, and such individuals will make up the majority of the participants. Half the students will be rising seniors and half will be rising sophomores. Six research groups will be formed, each consisting of a senior, a sophomore, and a faculty research director. Students many choose to work on research projects in areas ranging from ecology to molecular biology. The goal of this program is to support productive, publishable research involving undergraduates, with a special focus on promising younger students. The program builds on a strong tradition of undergraduate research in a liberal arts environment at Furman, and a successful NSF-REU program over the past two summers.
