Collaborative Research: REU Site: Multisite REU in Synthetic Biology

位于马萨诸塞州波士顿的西蒙斯大学和位于北卡罗来纳州格林斯伯勒的北卡罗来纳A&P；T州立大学将在2019-2021年夏季为12名学生提供为期10周的培训。这是一个多站点REU合作项目，每个站点每年夏天将接待6名学生。该计划的重点是提供合成生物学多学科领域的研究经验，合成生物学是一个新兴的生物学领域，它整合了包括生物学、数学、化学和计算机科学在内的多个科学学科。教师导师将从两所大学的化学、生物、数学和计算机科学系中挑选出来。在为期10周的计划中，学生将参与合成生物学研究项目，教他们如何1)使用合成生物学策略解决复杂的生物学问题，2)在多学科研究团队中工作，3)发展跨学科沟通技能。为期一周的共同新兵训练营将在两所大学合并，使用共享模块来阐明共同的目标、实验室技术和计算技能。为了促进网站之间的合作，将在网站之间创建结对的虚拟研究小组，并将利用各种社交媒体平台开展STEM职业规划的联合规划。在线学习社区将包括通过网络研讨会举行的每周一次的队列会议，以及由学生领导、由教师导师推动的虚拟日志俱乐部。在该项目期间，学生还将参加一系列研讨会，重点是核心合成生物学技术、与合成生物学相关的生物伦理问题、STEM中的隐性偏见和性骚扰，以及STEM中的职业。暑期计划将以一个联盟范围的虚拟研讨会结束，学生们将有机会向他们的同事展示他们的研究并收到建设性的反馈。学生将根据他们对研究的兴趣、学术记录、所在机构的推荐信以及与遴选委员会教师导师的电话面试而被选中。预计共有36名学生将在该计划中接受培训，这些学生主要来自代表性不足的少数群体和研究机会有限的学校。学生将学习研究是如何进行的，许多人将在科学会议上展示他们的工作成果。该项目是为有志于从事STEM领域研究工作的学生设计的。将使用生物基础设施司资助的所有REU站点方案使用的通用网络评估工具来确定培训方案的有效性。项目结束后，将对学生进行跟踪，以确定他们的职业道路。学生将被要求回复通过NSF报告系统发送的自动电子邮件。有关该计划的更多信息，请访问或联系西蒙斯大学的PI(Jennifer.canfield@simmons.edu的Jennifer Roecklein-Canfield博士)或共同PI(Mariam.ismail@simmons.edu的Mariam Ismail博士)或北卡罗来纳A&amp；T州立大学的PI(Robert Newman博士(RhNewman@ncat.edu))。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This collaborative REU site award to Simmons University, located in Boston, MA, and North Carolina A&T State University, located in Greensboro, NC, will support the training of 12 students for 10 weeks during the summers of 2019- 2021. This is a multisite REU collaborative and each site will host 6 students each summer. The focus of the program is to provide research experiences in the multidisciplinary field of Synthetic Biology, an emerging field of biology that integrates multiple scientific disciplines, including biology, mathematics, chemistry, and computer science. Faculty mentors will be drawn from the Departments of Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, and Computer Science at both institutions. During the 10-week program, students will be engaged in synthetic biology research projects that teach them how to 1) use synthetic biology strategies to solve complex biological problems, 2) work in a multidisciplinary research team, and 3) develop cross-disciplinary communication skills. A common week-long boot camp will be incorporated at both institutions using shared modules to articulate common objectives, laboratory techniques, and computational skills. To foster the collaboration between the sites, paired virtual research groups will be created between sites and joint programming in STEM career planning will be delivered using a variety of social media platforms. The online learning community will consist of weekly cohort meetings via webinar and a virtual journal club led by students and facilitated by faculty mentors. During the program, students will also participate in a series of workshops focused on core synthetic biology techniques, bioethical issues associated with synthetic biology, implicit bias and sexual harassment in STEM, and careers in STEM. The summer program will culminate with a consortium-wide virtual symposium where students will have the opportunity to present their research to their colleagues and receive constructive feedback. Students will be selected based on their interest in research, academic record, recommendation letters from their home institutions and phone interviews with faculty mentors on the selection committee. It is anticipated that a total of 36 students, primarily from underrepresented minority groups and from schools with limited research opportunities, will be trained in the program. Students will learn how research is conducted, and many will present the results of their work at scientific conferences. This program is designed for students interested in pursuing research careers in STEM fields. A common web-based assessment tool used by all REU Site programs funded by the Division of Biological Infrastructure will be used to determine the effectiveness of the training program. Students will be tracked after the program in order to determine their career paths. Students will be asked to respond to an automatic email sent via the NSF reporting system. More information about the program is available by visiting or by contacting the PI (Dr. Jennifer Roecklein-Canfield at Jennifer.canfield@simmons.edu) or the co-PI (Dr. Mariam Ismail at Mariam.ismail@simmons.edu) at Simmons University or the PI (Dr. Robert Newman at rhnewman@ncat.edu) at North Carolina A&T State University.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.