IGERT FORMAL PROPOSAL: Graduate Research Training in Bioinformatics

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9870710 DeLisi This Integrative Graduate Education and Research Training (IGERT) award will support the establishment of a broadly- based graduate training program in computational science and bioinformatics that emphasizes computational approaches to diverse biological problems, including functional and structural genomics, bioinformatics, neuroscience and cell motility. The program will be a joint effort of 26 faculty drawn from the Departments of Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mathematics and Pharmacology, whose research interests reflect skill in both mathematics and experimental science. NSF support will provide stipends for 14 graduate students each year, and for related costs of student research training. Educational opportunities will require that the graduate students have or acquire basic knowledge of molecular biology and biochemistry, developmental biology, computation and databases. Advanced coursework will be offered in areas as varied as molecular evolution, biomechanics and engineering systems analysis. Short tutorials will train students in the use and modification of computer software and hardware needed for data visualization and analysis. The training program will offer weekly seminars and evening research discussions, and will host two national workshops devoted to leading edge scientific or technological issues in computational biology. The training program will include thesis research supervised by two mentors, training in written and oral communication, visits to industrial research labs and opportunities for extended industrial internships. Students will be recruited through varied efforts including, in addition to standard avenues, the use of the Science Engineering and Math Academic Support Network of the New England Board of Higher Education and the hosting of an annual, week-long workshop in databases and software for teachers from 15-20 small colleges and universities. Th e progress of the program will be monitored by an external advisory committee of distinguished industrial and academic scientists that meets annually. IGERT is a new, NSF-wide program whose goal is to sponsor the establishment of innovative, research-based graduate programs that will train a diverse group of new scientists and engineers to be well-prepared for varied careers in the private and public sectors. IGERT provides an opportunity for the development of new, well-focused multidisciplinary programs that bridge traditional organizational barriers, uniting faculty from several departments or institutions to establish a highly-interactive collaborative environment for both training and research. In its first year, the program will provide support to 17 institutions for new or nascent programs that collectively span all areas of science, engineering and mathematics eligible for support by the NSF.