REU Site: Dare to BE FIRST - Biomechanical Engineering Foundations in Impactful Research, Science & Technology

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BROADER SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROJECT:The Center for Biomechanical Engineering Research (CBER) at the University of Delaware offers a comprehensive Research Experience for Undergraduates who "Dare to BE FIRST" which will establish Biomechanical Engineering Foundations in Impactful Research, Science and Technology (BE FIRST). The program will take advantage of faculty expertise in osteoarthritis research to train qualified minority undergraduate students in essential research skills for biomedical engineering. A total of 20 students will spend 10 weeks in a biomechanics research lab and benefit from state-of-the-art facilities, mentorship, and workshops to conduct an independent research project. Students will be recruited from minority institutions and historically black colleges and universities around the U.S. and other institutions with limited research resources. The goal is to improve their engineering and research skills which will influence the academic pursuits of this group of talented and diverse young scientists.TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION:The Center for Biomechanical Engineering Research (CBER) at the University of Delaware offers a comprehensive Research Experience for Undergraduates who "Dare to BE FIRST" which will establish Biomechanical Engineering Foundations in Impactful Research, Science and Technology (BE FIRST). The mission leverages CBER's strengths in cutting edge osteoarthritis research in order to improve the quantitative analysis capabilities of minority undergraduate students with emphasis on theory, modeling and simulation in molecular, cellular, tissue and joint-level biomechanics. The activities designed to meet this objective include 10 weeks of hands-on experience in an osteoarthritis research laboratory, scientific and professional development workshops, research lab and clinical site visits, opportunities for networking and interdisciplinary communication with scientists from graduate students to orthopaedic surgeons, and culminating in a university-wide research symposium. Beyond the intellectual merit of the individual projects, the program will evaluate and compare student productivity and program effectiveness with systematically administered surveys and professional evaluations. The program plans to recruit a total of 20 undergraduate students who are interested in both quantitative technologies and bioengineering research each year for three years. Through the alliance with institutions which may not have access to similar research resources, it is expected that this program will change the scientific perception, improve the engineering skills, and impact the academic pursuits of participants. As a result, it also expects to prepare this group of talented and diverse young scientists for the quantitative research required by graduate programs and the biomedical industry. Ultimately the program will strengthen undergraduate education by enhancing student preparation in quantitative analysis and related research skills needed by the next generation of biomedical engineers.This project is supported by the Division of Engineering Education and Centers of the National Science Foundation.