This International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) program provides a unique opportunity for collaborative research in plant genome and agricultural biotechnology for a diverse group of US graduate and undergraduate students. The students will investigate gene function in plants exposed to five major abiotic stressors (drought, salinity, heavy metal lead, low and high temperature). In each of the three award years, five students will be selected from East Carolina University (ECU) and nearby historically black institutes, including local community colleges, in North Carolina. These students will be trained at the ECU PI's laboratories and then travel to China to conduct field and laboratory research at the Henan Institute of Sciences and Technology (HIST) for six weeks.
This IRES project will impact a broad scientific community within the US and internationally. The diverse group of students, from 2- and 4- year undergraduate and graduate programs, will receive international mentoring and research-based education. Recruitment from historically black universities and local community colleges in North Carolina with large disadvantaged populations will ensure a diverse student group. Through the proposed student research program in China mentored by Chinese scientists, this IRES project will provide students with unique opportunities to become globally-engaged scientists and to build their international scientific networks.
