This award provides opportunities for 13 undergraduate students, competitively selected each year, to participate in the National Museum of Natural History Research Training Program at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. Since 1980, the Museum has actively participated in training the next generation of scientists by hosting a ten-week summer program for 24-28 undergraduate students to explore their interests in the biological, geological, and anthropological sciences. Helping students develop confidence and competence in the research process is the cornerstone of the Program. This is accomplished by means of a thorough curriculum centered on guided research experiences in these natural history sciences. The participant, working one-on-one with a mentoring scientist, develops and tests a scientific hypothesis using appropriate techniques, and communicates the results in written manuscripts and oral presentations. Students conduct their research in the extensive collections, libraries and laboratories of the NMNH, which houses over 121 million specimens of plants, animals, insects, fossils, rocks, minerals, meteorites, marine organisms, and human artifacts. Complementing the research is an interactive series of lectures, discussions, workshops, and tours that introduce participants to the diversity of scientific disciplines, research techniques, and career choices available in the natural history sciences. The specific objectives of the Program are: to encourage the most talented and highly-motivated young scientists to pursue careers in the biological, geological, and anthropological sciences, especially women and minorities; to offer opportunities for career exploration and research experiences not available in traditional academic institutions; and to create future scientists who transmit an appreciation of interdisciplinary natural history studies and the value of collections and collections-based research.
