This REU Site award to the University of California Berkeley (UCB), located in Berkeley, CA, will support the training of 12 students for ten weeks during the summers of 2014 - 2018. The theme of the REU is "Integrative Biology: From Molecules to Ecosystems." The program offers research training in molecular biology, cell biology, physiology, and ecology, and includes 13 different departments. Evolution and developmental biology are central themes and inherent parts of all research programs included in the program. Students will be able to conduct research in developmental biology that could include anything from gene regulation and molecular mechanisms involved in developmental processes, to cellular migration during development, to examining environmental factors that alter developmental trajectories in whole animals, to studying evolution and development in the field. In addition to the intensive research experience (with students mentored by faculty members and doctoral students), the program offers an intensive week of introductory courses, a weekly research seminar presented by faculty members from across campus, writing exercises, ethics training, a weekly professional development course, and a balanced social/recreational program. Students will assess the program by using the NSF REU common assessment tool. The UCB REU program primarily seeks students interested in pursuing graduate school and research careers in the biological sciences. Student applications are assessed by the PI and co-PI, and a panel of UCB faculty, graduate students, and administrators committed to the REU.
It is anticipated that a total of 60 undergraduate students, primarily from schools with limited research opportunities, will be trained in the REU program. One of the program goals is to increase the number of women, first generation, low income and underrepresented minorities who pursue graduate degrees in the biological sciences. Students in the program will learn how research is conducted, and enhance their skills and confidence to do science. Many will present the results of their work at scientific conferences, improving their chance to get into the most competitive graduate programs in the country. Further, the UCB REU program will strengthen ties with colleges and universities that serve the targeted student populations.
Students are required to be tracked after the program and must respond to an automatic email sent via the NSF reporting system. More information is available by visiting http://mcb.berkeley.edu/nsfreu/ , contacting coordinator Anne Maclachlan (reuapplic@lists.berkeley.edu) or by contacting the PI (Dr. Tyrone B. Hayes at tyrone@berkeley.edu), the co-PI (Dr. David Weisblatt at weisblat@berkeley.edu).
