Natural History Research Experiences (NHRE) engages 20 undergraduate students in authentic independent research projects in close collaboration with scientific staff at the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), Smithsonian Institution. NHRE is designed to prepare participants for entry into scientific careers by providing structured council on designing, conducting, publishing and communicating research. In this unique program, students are given unparalleled access to the collections, facilities, and intellectual resources of NMNH. In return, students are expected to break new scientific ground and make their results accessible to the scientific community and the public. Research projects concentrate in areas of geology (planetary accretion and differentiation, climate change and paleontology), biology (phylogenetics, biodiversity and evolutionary biology), and anthropology (ethnography, linguistics, physical and forensic anthropology) broadly in line with the scientific strengths of the NMNH. Natural History Research Experiences aims to initiate participation of America's undergraduates in scientific research. The NHRE is committed to broadening participation and enhancing diversity in natural history disciplines in order to develop an internationally competitive scientific work force for the future. Students engaged in the program gain valuable technical skills and scientific training, benefits that will serve them well, regardless of their career trajectories. With the NHRE, the Smithsonian's pre-eminence in communicating science to the public can be leveraged to ensure that scientific results reach beyond the research community, to policy-makers, industry, and broad public audiences.
