The NSF-REU Program at the Roswell Park Cancer institute presents upper division science majors pre-graduate school summer experiences. Students will participate in a challenging ten-week program with a biological focus. As in past programs, special efforts will be made to insure the participation of talented disadvantaged and under-represented students and women. Selected graduate faculty members of the Roswell Park Division of the University at Buffalo serve as major advisors for students admitted to the program. The major area of study for NSF Fellows at the institute is in the area of molecular and cellular biology of cancer. Under the tutelage of senior faculty, students are immersed in a rich research environment. Here they are exposed to both cutting-edge research projects and the scientific lifestyle. This experience has been shown to be a key factor in a student's decision making process before choosing a field of study and formally applying to graduate programs. The culmination of this 10-week research experience is the student's poster and oral presentations at the Scientific Mini-Conference. It is here that the participants present their results to their peers and institute faculty. Other summer experiences include attendance at a distinguished lecture series, career counseling sessions, and weekend social activities. Participants are not only exposed to what a life in scientific research is, but also develop a realistic idea of the role basic science plays in medicine.
