The Research Improvement in Minority Institutions (RIMI) program is designed to increase the participation of minorities in scientific and engineering research. The program provides support to strengthen the research environments and capabilities of institutions that have substantial minority student enrollments. Eligible institutions must also have graduate programs in science or programs in engineering. Researchers at Chicago State University will use RIMI support to acquire a state of the art microscope to investigate banding of two species of mosquitoes to compare differences between them. The studies will investigate the evolution, development, and population dynmacis of the species and will increase our knowledge about mechanisms of adaptation. The principal investigator is a relatively young scientist with three years of postdoctoral study at Johns Hopkins University and is well qualified to conduct this study. The type of intellectual vigor and techniques involved in this project provide an excellent opportunity for minority students to be attracted and trained in the biological sciences.
