REU Site: DNA-Based Discoveries in Hawaii's Biodiversity

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This REU Site award to the University of Hawaii at Manoa, located in Honolulu, HI, will support the training of 10 students for 10 weeks during the summers of 2021-2023. Research is conducted on-campus at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, including the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology in Kaneohe, HI. The program will train up to 30 undergraduate students, primarily from schools with limited research opportunities or underrepresented groups in DNA-based biodiversity research. The REU Site encourages Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, and community college students to apply. Following completion of their training, students will be able to design and execute question-driven research projects, and many will present the results of their work at scientific conferences. Assessment of the program will be done through the online SALG URSSA tool. Students will be tracked after the program in order to determine their career paths. Hawaii is an isolated biodiversity hotspot with thousands of native, endemic, and threatened plant and animal species. Working with faculty from the School of Life Sciences, the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology and the Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences, students will participate in an immersive culture- and place-based research experience in DNA-based projects that focus on the central theme of exploring biodiversity in the Hawaiian islands, including on the discovery and documentation of 1) species new to science, 2) populations and genetic variation at risk, and 3) organisms that present risks to native taxa, natural ecosystem structure and function, and important economic and cultural resources. In addition, students will be trained in ethics and responsible conduct of research, laboratory and biological safety, communicating the results of scientific research, applying to graduate school, and exploring science careers. More information about the program is available by visiting https://biodiversity-reu.manoa.hawaii.edu, or by contacting the PI (Dr. Stephanie Kraft-Terry at kraft2@hawaii.edu) or the co-PI (Dr. Peter Marko at pmarko@hawaii.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.