Biotechnology Predoctoral Training Program

描述（由申请人提供）：该提案要求继续资助西北大学（NU）的博士前生物技术培训计划。这个跨学科和跨部门的计划提供生物技术培训的机会，为一组选定的博士。来自四个参与单位的学生：生物医学和化学工程（ChE），化学系和跨部门生物科学（IBIS）研究生课程。从生命科学的各种实验室中选择的研究机会，得到了核心跨学科课程的补充。3至6个月的工业实习使受训者接触现代生物技术的工业环境。所有学员和大多数导师参加IBIS，为期两天的校外年度务虚会，这使得来自许多学科的学生和教师之间进行广泛的互动，并增加了学员群体的凝聚力。生物技术研究俱乐部，在学年期间每月一次或更多次，夏季每月两次，是学员和教师向参加该计划的其他学生展示其研究成果并与之互动的论坛。其他几个跨学科研究俱乐部（如生物物理学俱乐部，生物材料俱乐部）为学员提供更多的机会，以扩大他们的知识和观点。学员组织和主持生物技术研讨会，将工业和学术科学家带到校园，与学员进行研讨会和讨论。学生还利用校园内其他几个生命科学相关的研讨会项目。主要通过“生物学研究伦理学”课程进行负责任的研究行为方面的教学。 方案和参与单位利用海报、小册子和万维网网页招募受训人员。为招收代表性不足群体的学生作出了大量努力，并取得了相当成功。在该培训计划的前5年，由于学生申请人人数较多，很大一部分受训人员来自ChE。然而，在过去的4年中，来自BME，IBIS和ChE的研究生的多样化人口得到了平衡的支持。参与计划的导师人数将从18人增加到31人。从5个增加到8个资助的职位将支持这个扩大的导师基地，并允许一些化学学生的支持。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal requests funding continuation for the Predoctoral Biotechnology Training Program at Northwestern University (NU). This interdisciplinary and interdepartmental Program offers biotechnology training opportunities for a select group of Ph.D. students from four participating units: the departments of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering (ChE), the Chemistry department, and the Interdepartmental Biological Sciences (IBiS) graduate program. Research opportunities, chosen from among a wide array of laboratories in the life sciences, are complemented by a core interdisciplinary curriculum. Three- to 6-month industrial internships expose trainees to the industrial environment of modern biotechnology. All trainees and most preceptors participate in the IBiS, two-day, off-campus annual retreat, which allows extensive interactions among students and faculty from many disciplines and increases the cohesiveness of the trainee group. The Biotechnology research club, which meets once a month or more during the academic year and twice a month during the summer, is the forum where trainees and faculty present their research results to and interact with other students participating in the Program. Several other interdisciplinary research clubs (e.g. Biophysics Club, Biomaterials Club) provide trainees with additional opportunities to broaden their knowledge and perspective. Trainees organize and host biotechnology seminars that bring industrial and academic scientists to campus for a seminar and discussions with trainees. Students also take advantage of several other life sciences-related seminar programs on campus. Instruction in the responsible conduct of research is carried out primarily through the course "Ethics in Biological Research". Trainees are recruited by the Program and the participating units, using posters, brochures, and WWW pages. Intensive efforts are made to recruit students from underrepresented groups, and have been quite successful. In the first 5 years of this Training Program a significant fraction of trainees has come from ChE because of the larger student-applicant pool. During the past 4 years, however, a diverse population of graduate students from BME, IBiS, and ChE has been supported in a balanced manner. The number of preceptors participating in the Program will increase from 18 to 31. An increase from 5 to 8 funded positions will support this expanded preceptor base and allow the support of some Chemistry students.