An award was made to the Department of Biology at Tufts University to provide research training for 10 weeks for 10 students per year, for the summers of 2010-2012. The summer program is entitled, "Integrative approaches to studying recognition systems in cells, organisms, and populations" and will provide students the opportunity to work closely on collaborative, interdisciplinary projects combining faculty expertise in biochemistry, genetics, development, endocrinology, neurobiology, animal behavior, plant ecology, and conservation biology. Students will work with two mentors, one serving as the primary mentor, to combine research techniques from different fields to design and conduct an independent project. In addition to research involvement, the program includes weekly discussions, seminars, field trips, and a student symposium. The goals of this summer program are to increase students' proficiency in biological research and collaborative skills, to educate and inspire students toward future research careers, and to develop students' ability to effectively communicate scientific results. Accordingly, seminars are focused on proficiency in science/communication of scientific results, scientific ethics/responsible conduct of research, and career development. Participants are selected from a broad undergraduate applicant pool, and the program is committed to providing research opportunities for students traditionally underrepresented in science and those who might not have such opportunities at their home institutions (with an emphasis on community college students). The Tufts University Department of Biology has a long-standing commitment to mentoring undergraduates in research, and a strong track record of highly productive interdisciplinary research collaborations. Student-mentor relationships typically extend long beyond the research experience and are facilitated via electronic networking tools. We solicit frequent feedback from participants and use this to continuously assess and refine our program. For more information, contact Phil Starks at REU@tufts.edu and visit our webpage http://ase.tufts.edu/biology/undergrad/research/reu.asp.
Science depends on continued input and innovation, and to enable this we must train the next generation of scientists. A potential barrier is the ‘identity’ issue: it can be challenging for students to see themselves as scientists. We address this issue in our 10-week summer NSF funded research experience for undergraduates (REU) program by enabling students to experience, first hand, all aspects of the scientific process. We have a general biology department at Tufts University, and our faculty – between 2010 and 2012 - mentored 30 students and allowed them to explore interests for biological fields ranging from genetics to population dynamics. These students came from colleges from eight states, one territory, and another country and formed scientific communities on our Medford campus. In addition to general scientific and field-specific training, our participants received financial support (including housing) and career development advice, cumulating in an alternative careers in science panel discussion that included educators, health care practitioners, and representatives from governmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, and industry. Of our 30 students, about one quarter entered graduate programs, one quarter are working in science, one quarter are in medical school, and one quarter are completing their undergraduate degree and/or applying for programs. All six of our community college participants continued their education – two of them at Tufts – and two of them have already entered graduate school. Ten of our students have been authors on conference posters, six have been authors on peer-reviewed publications, and several more are authors on manuscripts that are in preparation.
