Transitioning Undergraduate Research in Science at Wesley to Meet the Challenges of the 21st Century

该奖项是根据《2009年美国复苏和再投资法案》(公法111-5)提供资金，用于改善卫斯理学院加农堂现有的研究实验室条件。卫斯理学院是一所领先的私立文科院校，拥有1600名全日制传统年龄本科生，总招生人数为2200人。科学系和数学系设在大炮大厅，那里20世纪60年代的老式科学实验室和设施都是不合格的。这座建筑是在学院的主要使命是教学的时候设计的。最近，科学系对特拉华州对富有成效的竞争性研究伙伴关系的强调做出了回应，其指导的本科生研究项目有了显着增长。该设施的设计不是为了处理研究项目的水平或规模，也不符合当代的研究标准，因为研究变得比大楼建成时更复杂，使用的设备也更复杂。拟议对现有研究设施进行现代化改造，以解决研究实验室的严重不足之处，办法是将陈旧的实验室空间(Cannon 215、Cannon 214和Cannon 115)翻新为现代实验室建筑标准，包括足够的通风；拆除现有的机械/电气/燃气/管道系统、工作站和地板饰面；建造新的工作站、易燃储藏柜、机械/电气/燃气/管道系统、地板和墙壁饰面；以及建造一间蛋白质纯化冷藏室。这将为日益壮大的卫斯理本科生导师研究参与者提供亟需的空间。此外，随着通信应用程序和操作系统的融合，巩固和升级大炮的网络基础设施将满足下一代应用程序和设备的连接需求。使研究与国家需求保持一致，并有能力将翻新转化为有价值的研究，这是翻新的重大好处。拟议的现代化最广泛的影响将是增强寻找、吸引和准备卫斯理非常多样化的研究参与者的能力(70%是女性，21%来自代表性不足的人群，29%是第一代大学生)。

Abstract This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).Funds are provided to improve the current research laboratory conditions in Cannon Hall at Wesley College. Wesley College is a leading private liberal-arts institution with 1600 full-time traditional age undergraduates and a total enrollment of 2200. The Departments of Science and Mathematics are housed in Cannon Hall, where the 1960s vintage science laboratories and facilities are substandard. The building was designed at a time when the primary mission of the college was teaching. Recently the science department has responded to Delaware's emphasis on productive competitive research partnerships with a significant growth in its mentored undergraduate research programs. The facility was not designed to handle the level or size of the research programs and does not meet contemporary research standards since research has become more complex and utilizes more sophisticated equipment than when the building was built. The proposed modernization of available research facilities, will address critical research laboratory deficiencies by renovating obsolete laboratory spaces (Cannon 215, Cannon 214, and Cannon 115) to contemporary laboratory building standards including adequate ventilation; demolition of existing mechanical/electrical/ gas/plumbing systems, workstations, and floor finishes; constructing new workstations, flammable storage cabinets, mechanical/electrical/gas/plumbing systems, floor and wall finishes; and the construction of a cold room for protein purification (FPLC). This will provide much needed space for the growing Wesley undergraduate mentored research participants. Furthermore, with the convergence of communication applications and operating systems from consolidating and upgrading the cyber infrastructure for Cannon Hall will meet the connectivity demands of the next-generation applications and devices. Alignment of research with state needs and a capability to leverage renovations into valuable research is a significant benefit from the renovations. The broadest impact of the proposed modernization will be an increased ability to seek out, attract, and prepare Wesley's very diverse research participants (70% women, 21% from underrepresented populations, and 29% first-generation college students).