IGERT Formal Proposal:Education and Research Training in Structure & Function of Complex Biological Systems

这一综合性研究生教育和研究培训(IGERT)奖支持建立一个关于复杂生物系统的结构和功能的教育和研究的多学科研究生培训计划。该方案将侧重于整合知识，并在多个空间和时间尺度上开发跨组织级别的生物系统模型。要研究的系统范围从大分子复合体到相互作用的神经细胞网络。培训将强调了解复杂的生物系统的结构及其组成部分的相互作用，并将先进的计算和数学方法与各种实验和分析技术相结合。主要的教育方面是：为所有学生开设两门新的为期一年的多学科课程；以培训为重点的实验室轮换；科学的专业发展和伦理实践研讨会、双重导师、学生参与合作的多学科研究项目、专门的研究研讨会系列，以及由其他大学和行业的研究人员领导的密集暑期讲习班。蒙大拿州立大学博兹曼分校的八个系和三个学院的教职员工团队将参与其中，工作效率很高。与现有的、成功的密歇根州立大学项目一起，计划做出特别努力，以增加攻读生物科学博士学位的美国原住民学生的数量。IGERT是一个NSF范围的项目，旨在促进建立创新的、以研究为基础的研究生项目，培养不同的科学家和工程师群体，为利用广泛的职业选择做好充分准备。IGERT为博士机构提供了一个机会，以开发新的、重点明确的、超越组织边界的多学科研究生课程，并团结来自几个系或机构的教师，为培训和研究建立一个高度互动、协作的环境。在该计划的第二年，将向21个机构颁发奖项，这些机构的项目共同涵盖了NSF支持的所有科学和工程领域。这一具体奖项由生物科学理事会、计算机和信息科学与工程理事会以及教育和人力资源理事会资助。

This Integrative Graduate Education and Research Training (IGERT) award supports the establishment of a multidisciplinary graduate training program of education and research on the structure and function of complex biological systems. The program will focus on integrating knowledge and developing models of biological systems across organization levels and at multiple spatial and temporal scales. Systems to studied range from macromolecular complexes to networks of interacting nerve cells. Training will emphasize understanding complex biological systems in terms of the structures and interaction of their components, and will integrate advanced computational and mathematical approaches with a wide variety of experimental and analytical techniques. Key educational aspects are: two new, year-long, multidisciplinary courses for all students; lab rotations with a training focus, seminars in professional development and ethical practices of science, dual advisors, student involvement in collaborative, multidisciplinary research projects, a dedicated research seminar series, and intensive summer workshops led by investigators from other universities and industry. A highly productive group of faculty will participate, collectively spanning eight departments and three colleges of Montana State University-Bozeman. In conjunction with existing, successful MSU programs, special efforts are planned to increase the number of Native American students pursuing doctoral degrees in the biological sciences.IGERT is an NSF-wide program intended to facilitate the establishment of innovative, research-based graduate programs that will train a diverse group of scientists and engineers to be well-prepared to take advantage of a broad spectrum of career options. IGERT provides doctoral institutions with an opportunity to develop new, well-focussed multidisciplinary graduate programs that transcend organizational boundaries and unite faculty from several departments or institutions to establish a highly interactive, collaborative environment for both training and research. In this second year of the program, awards are being made to twenty-one institutions for programs that collectively span all areas of science and engineering supported by NSF. This specific award is supported by funds from the Directorates for Biological Sciences, for Computer and Information Science and Engineering, and for Education and Human Resources.