Nanobiotechnology is an interdisciplinary science at the convergence of diverse scientific disciplines that leverages the principles and experimental tools from the physical sciences and engineering to facilitate a better understanding of biological systems. This emerging field is particularly important in biomedicine, where new tools are needed to address complex, long-standing challenges in such fields as cancer biology, cell and developmental biology, infectious diseases and regenerative biology. However, interdisciplinary research in nanobiotechnology often does not resonate with undergraduates, due to the limited access and availability of facilities and research programs in the university setting, and the intimidating prospects of mastering multiple disciplines. This Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site program at the University of Georgia (UGA) offers an interdisciplinary research experience at the interface of nanotechnology and biomedicine to underrepresented minority and female undergraduate students from other institutions, leveraging the diverse interdisciplinary expertise, resources, and training opportunities in this area at UGA. The Site will host 10 REU students over a 10-week summer program where they will participate in existing, interdisciplinary research projects that apply nanotechnology to specific biomedical questions. Each REU student will be co-mentored by paired faculty from the nanotechnology and biomedical disciplines on a collaborative research project. In addition to a total-immersion and hands-on research experience, REU students will participate in enrichment activities that include an ethics-in-science workshop, weekly presentations on interdisciplinary research, what to expect in graduate school, career workshops, facility tours, and presenting research findings at national and international conferences.
The overarching goal is to attract and retain underrepresented minority and female students from institutions with limited research opportunities in science and engineering, and prepare them for graduate programs and careers in these fields. To accomplish this goal, the proposed program will provide an interdisciplinary research experience at the interface of nanotechnology and biomedicine to students. Through the program, students will (1) design hypotheses-driven research experiments to solve biomedical problems with engineering tools; (2) develop skills for conducting interdisciplinary research; (3) gain confidence and a sense of self-efficacy to participate in science and engineering research, (4) develop a greater understanding and appreciation for the benefits of interdisciplinary research. Research mentors will also gain expertise in mentoring minority and female students in interdisciplinary research.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
