REU Site: Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Plant Science at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center

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This REU Site award to the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, located in St. Louis, MO, will support the training of 10 students each year for 10 weeks during the summers of 2023-2025. The program will provide a comprehensive, real-life research experience to undergraduate students, especially those from institutions with limited research facilities, underrepresented minorities, first generation students and students at the beginning of their undergraduate education. Research and professional development activities will give exceptional training to undergraduate students interested in plant biology, a discipline which will become even more important as the world population grows and the environment changes. Students will learn how research is conducted, how to correctly document their research and effectively communicate science. All students will present their research at an internal symposium, and many will present at scientific conferences and publish in research journals. Participants will be required to register in the NSF Education and Training Application system (ETAP). 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.The focus of the program is original, hypothesis-driven research centered on answering important questions in plant science. Research topics range from fundamental science geared towards discovery to technological innovation and development in wet-bench settings and in bio-imaging, data science and robotics, as well as product development, regulatory guidelines and dissemination to communities in need. Furthermore, students will participate in educational workshops on bio-imaging, proteomics, phenotyping, bioinformatics and data science, and tissue culture. They will also engage in a variety of professional development activities including training in the responsible conduct of research, science communication, choosing a career and applying for graduate fellowships and programs. Students will also receive training in best practices in equity, diversity and inclusion. The program will recruit participants who are from underrepresented groups including those with disabilities, women, and from rural communities, colleges and universities with limited research programs. More information about the program is available by visiting https://www.danforthcenter.org/our-work/education-outreach/undergraduate-program/internship-program/, or by contacting the PI (Dr. Tessa Burch-Smith at tburch-smith@danforthcenter.org) or co-PI (Dr. Sona Pandey at spandey@danforthcenter.org).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.