REU in Neural Science

来自NSF REU站点补助金的支持将使纽约大学神经科学中心能够支持一个成功的暑期本科生研究计划（SURP）。SURP于1990年作为一个示范方案成立，此后一直通过个人赠款和机构基金提供的资金在减少的水平上继续下去。 来自NSF REU Site Grant的支持将使该计划的正规化和扩展成为可能，并将其推广到纽约大学以外的学生，从而影响更广泛的学生群体。通过与纽约大学教师资源网络的合作，将积极寻求代表性不足的少数民族、妇女和来自设备资源和研究机会有限的小型学院的本科生。一个由南方13所历史悠久的黑人学院和大学以及15所地区文科学院组成的联盟，代表了10万多名本科生和8,300多名教职员工。 八到十名本科生，大部分在大二和大三之间，他们对基础神经科学研究表现出浓厚的兴趣，GPA至少为3.0，每年夏天将从大约100名申请者中选出。 第一手的研究经验将提供给这些学生通过把他们在中枢神经系统实验室之一，从理论神经生物学，感觉生理学，情绪记忆的行为和分子研究，以大脑发育和恢复的细胞和分子基础的子领域。他们的教育、培训和进展将通过一个三层系统来促进和监测，包括以下内容：（1）与导师和主机实验室的附属成员进行一对一的日常互动;（2）由主任监督的每周和每两周的小组午餐会，在此期间进行自我评估并安排系列讲座;以及（3）每周对每个学生的口头和书面陈述技能进行密切的辅导，并在课程的最后一周举行研讨会并准备书面报告，描述夏季研究活动产生的基本原理，假设，结果和数据解释。 与过去一样，CNS SURP的研讨会系列和社会功能将与纽约大学华盛顿广场校区的社会研究领导联盟计划和纽约大学医学院的Sacklar研究所少数民族本科生暑期生物医学研究计划联合运行。 这些联合功能，连同各种社会和文化活动，将计划在午餐，晚餐，下班后和周末为CNS SURP组，将为学生提供机会成为本科生和研究生，博士后和教师的一大群的一部分。 该计划将确保CNS SURP学生获得有关科学调查，风格多样性的现实观点，并有机会随意谈论成为科学家的实际问题，如计划生育，个人生活和工作环境之间的平衡，博士和MD-Phds的机会和选择等。

Support from the NSF REU Site Grant will enable the Center for Neural Science at New York University to support an established, successful summer undergraduate research program (SURP). SURP was founded as a model program in 1990 and has continued ever since at a reduced level through funds derived from individual grants and institutional funds. Support from the NSF REU Site Grant will make it possible to regularize and expand the program, reach out to students beyond NYU, thereby impact a broader student population. Under-represented minorities, women and undergraduates from small colleges that are limited in resources for equipment and research opportunities will be pursued actively, through collaboration with NYU's Faculty Resource Network., a consortium of 13 historically black colleges and universities in the South and 15 regional liberal arts colleges, together representing over 100,000 undergraduates and over 8,300 faculty members. Eight to ten undergraduates, mostly between their sophomore and junior years, who have demonstrated keen interest in basic neural science research and with a GPA minimum of 3.0 will be chosen every summer from a pool of approximately 100 applicants. First-hand research experience will be made available to these students by placing them in one of the CNS labs, ranging in subfields from theoretical neurobiology, sensory physiology, behavioral and molecular investigation of emotional memory, to cellular and molecular basis of brain development and recovery from injuries. Their education, training, and progress will be fostered and monitored using a three-tiered system, consisting of the following: (1) one-to-one, daily interactions with a mentor and affiliated members of the host lab; (2) weekly and bi-weekly group luncheons, overseen by the director, during which self-assessments are made and a lecture series is scheduled; and (3) close, week-by-week coaching of each student's skills in oral and written presentations, leading up to a Symposium and preparation of a written report during the last week of the program that describe the rationale, hypothesis, outcome and interpretation of data generated from the summer research activity. As in the past, the CNS SURP's seminar series and social functions will run conjointly with those of the NYU Washington Square Campus's Leadership Alliance program in Social Studies and NYU Medical School's Sacklar Institute Minority Undergraduate Summer Research Program in Biomedical Sciences. These joint functions, together with a variety of social and cultural activities that will be planned over lunches, dinners, after-hours and week-ends for the CNS SURP group, will provide students with opportunities to be part of a large group of undergraduate and graduate students, post-docs, and faculty. This program will ensure that the CNS SURP students obtain a realistic view about diversity in scientific inquiries, style, and gain opportunities to chat casually about practical issues of becoming a scientist, such as family planning, balance between personal life and work environment, opportunities and options for PhDs and MD-PhDs, etc. while also enjoying York City's rich collection of culture and research institutions.