REU Site: Microbiology at the University of Iowa

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This REU Site award to the University of Iowa, located in Iowa City, IA, will support the training of 8 students for 10 weeks during the summers of 2019-2021. The scientific focus of the research program is microbiology. Each student will conduct an independent laboratory research project under the guidance of a faculty and a graduate student co-mentor from the Department of Microbiology & Immunology. Lectures, workshops and social activities will promote professional development, familiarize students with graduate school and career options, and provide training in responsible conduct of research. Students will present their findings at a university-wide symposium and at regional and national meetings. The program is open to undergraduates who are interested in scientific research and are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Recruitment will use both traditional mailings and various forms of electronic outreach. Special emphasis will be given to recruitment of students from demographic groups that are underrepresented in the sciences and/or students from small colleges (including community colleges) where opportunities for research are lacking. Students will be selected by the program directors based on academic record, letters of recommendation and potential for outstanding future careers in the biological sciences. Post-program mentoring will promote retention of students in the sciences, while tracking will assess the lasting influences of the research experience.It is anticipated that a total of 24 students, primarily from schools with limited research opportunities, will be trained in the program. Students will learn how research is conducted, and many will present the results of their work at scientific conferences.A common web-based assessment tool used by all REU Site programs funded by the Division of Biological Infrastructure will be used to determine the effectiveness of the training program. Students will be tracked after the program in order to determine their career paths. Students will be asked to respond to an automatic email sent via the NSF reporting system. More information about the program is available by visiting http://www.medicine.uiowa.edu/microbiology/summer/ , or by contacting the PI (Dr. David Weiss at david-weiss@uiowa.edu) or the co-PI (Dr. Linda McCarter at linda-mccarter@uiowa.edu).This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.