This Academic Research Facilities Modernization Program (ARFMP) award from the Research Facilities Office provides funds to Winona State University for the repair and renovation of the second floor of Pasteur Hall which houses the Biology Department. This building was constructed in 1961 and has not been renovated since that time. The ARFMP grant of $74,484 and $74,484 provided by the grantee as cost sharing will be used to modernize these research and research training facilities and thus foster the establishment of a research presence in the Biology Department. This project will address the need to improve the current research infrastructure primarily by means of structural modifications and of upgrading the plumbing and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. The increased quantitiy and visibility of scientific experiments that accrue from this renovation can be expected to expose more students to scientific research and to have an impact on their perception of what research is and how it relates to them. This award contributes to the infrastructure of science by providing an improved environment for the conduct of research in cell and molecular biology and in environmental biology and for the training of quality undergraduate students in a department with a particular commitment to stimulating nontraditional students to choose a scientific career.
