This award provides support for the continuation of an REU Site in the Department of Psychology at the University of Virginia. The goal of this project if to expand the base of support available to undergraduate students working in Psychobiology. This award will provide summer stipends and supply budgets for 9 Summer Research Fellows. Five undergraduates will be selected from the University of Virginia and neighboring colleges and universities and 4 undergraduates will be selected specifically from predominantly black colleges and universities in the immediate region (i.e. Howard University, Norfolk State University, Virginia Union University, etc). Each student will be assigned to a faculty preceptor who will direct his/her daily laboratory activities. In addition, each student will meet each week in a formal seminar directed by a faculty member. Each student will present a research seminar at the end of the summer which summarizes his/her research effort. With this program, we hope to proved encouragement to promising undergraduates to consider careers in academic research and teaching in psychobiology.
