Integrated, Interdisciplinary, Inter-university PHD Program Computational Biology

描述（申请人提供）：21世纪最大的科学挑战本质上是跨学科的。解决生物学中这些挑战的研究需要来自多个学科的新思想、新方法和新研究策略的输入，包括物理科学、工程、数学和社会科学。然而，很少有学生被鼓励大胆和广泛地思考，或者被训练超越现有的学科框架。我们的目标是通过以下方式为博士研究生的持续职业生涯做好准备：1)建立数学、计算和生物学知识和技能的共同基线；2)让受训者接触到不同科学学科处理和解决科学问题的不同方法；2)让受训者接触到不同科学学科处理和解决科学问题的不同方法；2)帮助他们获得在小型跨学科研究团队中有效工作所必需的沟通、科学和社会技能。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The greatest scientific challenges for the 21st Century are inherently interdisciplinary. Research to address these challenges in biology requires the input of new ideas, methodologies, and investigative strategies from the multiple disciplines, including the physical sciences, engineering, mathematics, and the social sciences. Yet very few students are encouraged to think boldly and broadly, or are trained to go beyond existing disciplinary frameworks. We aim to prepare Ph.D students for sustained careers doing cutting edge interdisciplinary research by: i) developing a common baseline of mathematical, computational and biological knowledge and skills, ii) exposing trainees to the disparate ways that various scientific disciplines tackle and solve scientific problems, and ii) exposing trainees to the disparate ways that various scientific disciplines tackle and solve scientific problems, and ii) helping them acquire the communication, scientific and social skills necessary to work effectively in small interdisciplinary research teams. The Program in Interdisciplinary Biological and Biomedical Science (PiBBs) unites faculty and students from 6 departments ( Biology, Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mathematics and Statistics, Physics and Astronomy and Anthropology), 2 colleges ( College of Arts and Science and the College of Engineering at UNM) and 3 prestigious institutions ( University of New Mexico, Santa Fe Institute and Los Alamos National Laboratory) with research interests in biological theory, modeling and bioinformatics into a comprehensive program leading to a Ph.D concentration in Integrative Biology. A standing crop of 12 trainees (some supported by UNM) will receive several years of support to engage in didactic and hands-on training in the conduct of interdisplinary research. Our program involves a series of 5 specialized courses that include a repertoire of pedagogical strategies all with proven effectiveness in interdisciplinary training, a summer training program at SFI that broadens scientific horizons and networks, and hands on training in the conduct of research within a collaborative research team. A common facility, visiting scholars and a series of other professional and social activities help foster and maintain a vibrant and exciting community of interdisciplinary scholars. RELEVANCE: PiBBs addresses the goals of the NIH roadmap and the HHMI-NiBIB Interfaces Initiative by integrating across disciplines, providing innovative training in collaborative interdisicplinary science, and addressing fundamental problems in the biological science. Our training will prepare Ph.D. students for sustained careers doing cutting edge interdisciplinary biological research that will likely lead to important research discoveries.