REU Site: Interdisciplinary Research Experiences in Nanotechnology and Biomedicine

纳米生物技术是一门跨学科的科学，融合了不同的科学学科，利用物理科学和工程学的原理和实验工具，以促进对生物系统的更好理解。这一新兴领域在生物医学中尤为重要，需要新的工具来解决癌症生物学，细胞和发育生物学，传染病和再生生物学等领域的复杂，长期存在的挑战。然而，在纳米生物技术的跨学科研究往往不与本科生产生共鸣，由于有限的访问和设施和研究计划在大学设置的可用性，以及掌握多个学科的恐吓前景。本科生（REU）在格鲁吉亚（UGA）的大学网站程序的研究经验提供了在纳米技术和生物医学的接口，以代表性不足的少数民族和女本科生从其他机构的跨学科研究经验，利用不同的跨学科专业知识，资源和培训机会，在这方面在UGA。该网站将举办10个REU学生超过10周的暑期课程，他们将参加现有的，跨学科的研究项目，应用纳米技术到特定的生物医学问题。每个REU学生将由来自纳米技术和生物医学学科的配对教师共同指导合作研究项目。除了完全沉浸和动手研究的经验，REU学生将参加丰富的活动，其中包括伦理学在科学研讨会，每周介绍跨学科研究，什么期待在研究生院，职业研讨会，设施图尔斯，并在国家和国际会议上展示研究成果。总体目标是吸引和留住来自各机构的代表性不足的少数民族学生和女学生在科学和工程领域的研究机会有限，并为这些领域的研究生课程和职业生涯做好准备。为了实现这一目标，该计划将在纳米技术和生物医学的界面上为学生提供跨学科的研究经验。通过该计划，学生将（1）设计假设驱动的研究实验，用工程工具解决生物医学问题;（2）培养进行跨学科研究的技能;（3）获得信心和自我效能感参与科学和工程研究，（4）对跨学科研究的好处有更好的理解和欣赏。研究导师还将获得指导少数民族和女学生进行跨学科研究的专业知识。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Nanobiotechnology is an interdisciplinary science at the convergence of diverse scientific disciplines that leverages the principles and experimental tools from the physical sciences and engineering to facilitate a better understanding of biological systems. This emerging field is particularly important in biomedicine, where new tools are needed to address complex, long-standing challenges in such fields as cancer biology, cell and developmental biology, infectious diseases and regenerative biology. However, interdisciplinary research in nanobiotechnology often does not resonate with undergraduates, due to the limited access and availability of facilities and research programs in the university setting, and the intimidating prospects of mastering multiple disciplines. This Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site program at the University of Georgia (UGA) offers an interdisciplinary research experience at the interface of nanotechnology and biomedicine to underrepresented minority and female undergraduate students from other institutions, leveraging the diverse interdisciplinary expertise, resources, and training opportunities in this area at UGA. The Site will host 10 REU students over a 10-week summer program where they will participate in existing, interdisciplinary research projects that apply nanotechnology to specific biomedical questions. Each REU student will be co-mentored by paired faculty from the nanotechnology and biomedical disciplines on a collaborative research project. In addition to a total-immersion and hands-on research experience, REU students will participate in enrichment activities that include an ethics-in-science workshop, weekly presentations on interdisciplinary research, what to expect in graduate school, career workshops, facility tours, and presenting research findings at national and international conferences.The overarching goal is to attract and retain underrepresented minority and female students from institutions with limited research opportunities in science and engineering, and prepare them for graduate programs and careers in these fields. To accomplish this goal, the proposed program will provide an interdisciplinary research experience at the interface of nanotechnology and biomedicine to students. Through the program, students will (1) design hypotheses-driven research experiments to solve biomedical problems with engineering tools; (2) develop skills for conducting interdisciplinary research; (3) gain confidence and a sense of self-efficacy to participate in science and engineering research, (4) develop a greater understanding and appreciation for the benefits of interdisciplinary research. Research mentors will also gain expertise in mentoring minority and female students in interdisciplinary research.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.