This award will support the participation of undergraduate students in the Research Experiences for Undergraduates program offered by Northern Arizona University. Students chosen for this program will be Native American, African American and Hispanic students primarily; Caucasian students who are the first generation for their family in college may be included as participants. Under the guidance of scientists from the Department of Biological Sciences and the Department of Psychology, students will conduct research in the neural and behavioral sciences. The program is a year-long research internship that integrates four major components. (1) Students receive formal training in research design and statistics, reading complex scientific literature, and an integrated lecture-discussion series that covers the range of research topics in neural and behavioral sciences. (2) This training phase is combined with research experience under the guidance of faculty mentors during the summer and the academic year. (3) A seminar on professional issues held during the Fall semester will assist students in clarifying their career goals, instruct them in applying to graduate schools, and prepare them to make research presentations. (4) An ethics component will include presentations on the ethical treatment of animals in research, the ethical treatment of human subjects, the history of science, and cultural issues in ethics. Both faculty and students will attend presentations on Native American cultural restrictions around the handling of certain animals and plants. This award will foster the continued education and training of individuals who will be part of the next generation of basic researchers in neural and behavioral sciences. It will also help to inform young citizens about ethical questions in science and aspects of management and decision making for solving some societal/environmental problems. =~
