REU Site: Developing Student Scientists: Collaborative Research in the Life Sciences at Davidson College

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The NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates program makes effective use of mentoring and networking to recruit and train young researchers. As a newly named REU site, Davidson College has funding to support 10 undergraduate students for 10 weeks of intensive summer laboratory or field research. Under the mentorship of eight Biology and two Psychology faculty, students will conduct independent research at all levels of the life sciences, from molecular biology to neuroscience to field studies of animal populations. Formal and informal interactions among students and faculty will provide each participant with wide-ranging knowledge of biological problems and techniques. In addition to the research itself, participants will take part in weekly discussions of their own research, current issues in the life sciences, graduate school, writing grant proposals, and ethical issues in research. Participants will present the results of their research in a formal talk at the end of the summer and in a scientific paper. We will engage in a national recruitment effort via the Internet and personal contacts with faculty across the US. We will actively recruit African-American, Hispanic, and Native American students via contacts at historically black colleges and universities and other institutions with significant minority enrollments. By working closely with Davidson College Life Science faculty and gaining a better understanding of how science is conducted, students will be better able to make informed decisions about scientific issues shaping our world today and about their own career choices.