REU Site: Biological Data Science for Community College Students: Transition to Academic and Research Independence

该REU网站奖授予位于弗吉尼亚州哈里森堡的詹姆斯麦迪逊大学，将在2021-2023年夏季每年10周的课程中支持10名本科生的培训。预计总共将有30名即将升入二年级的学生，主要来自社区大学、研究机会有限的学校或来自代表性不足的群体，将接受该项目的培训。学生研究，该计划的基石，将解决生物学和生物化学的各个方面。学生将学习如何设计实验，进行研究和分析数据。该项目将通过研究经验促进学生向独立的过渡，这将支持社区大学学生进入四年制大学的STEM项目，并促进他们随后的学术和研究成功。该计划的评估将通过在线SALG URSSA工具进行。课程结束后，将对学生进行跟踪，以确定他们的职业道路。学生将在生物学和生物化学方面进行不同主题的研究，包括视觉和运动神经科学、蛋白质结构、生物教育、蛇生态学、分子遗传学、细胞迁移、海洋生态学和鸟类的听觉交流。所有的项目都要求学生运用数据工具来解释结果。课程包括生物信息学、数据分析、R编程、图像分析和数据可视化等方面的培训。除了数据科学培训，学生们还将参加有关有效应用于四年制大学、生物学和生物化学职业、多样性和包容性以及科学演示的研讨会。在项目结束时，学生们将向他们的同龄人展示他们的研究成果，许多人将在科学会议上展示他们的工作。该计划包括教育旅行和队伍建设活动。参与者将由首席研究员和潜在的教师导师根据在线申请进行选择。有关该计划的更多信息，请访问http://www.jmu.edu/biology/reu，或联系PI （Corey Cleland博士clelancl@jmu.edu）或联合PI （Bisi Velayudhan博士velayubt@jmu.edu）。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，认为值得支持。

This REU Site award to James Madison University, located in Harrisonburg, VA, will support the training of 10 undergraduate students in a 10-week program during each of 2021-2023 summers. It is anticipated that a total of 30 rising second year students, primarily from community colleges, schools with limited research opportunities or from an under-represented group, will be trained in the program. Student research, the cornerstone of the program, will address various aspects of biology and biochemistry. Students will learn how to design experiments, conduct research, and analyze data. The program will facilitate the students’ transition to independence through research experiences that will support the progression of community college students into STEM programs at four-year institutions and foster their subsequent academic and research success. Assessment of the program will be done through the online SALG URSSA tool. Students will be tracked after the program in order to determine their career paths.Students will conduct research on diverse topics in biology and biochemistry, including visual and movement neuroscience, protein structure, biological education, snake ecology, molecular genetics, cell migration, marine ecology and auditory communication in birds. All projects will require the students to apply data tools to interpret the results. Training in bioinformatics, data analytics, R programming, image analysis and data visualization is included in the program. In addition to data science training, students will also participate in workshops on effective applications to four-year institutions, careers in Biology and Biochemistry, diversity and inclusion, and scientific presentations. At the end of the program, students will present their research findings to their peers, and many will present their work at scientific conferences. Included in the program are educational trips and cohort-building activities. Participants will be selected by the Principal Investigator and potential faculty mentors based on an online application. More information about the program is available by visiting http://www.jmu.edu/biology/reu, or by contacting the PI (Dr. Corey Cleland at clelancl@jmu.edu) or the co-PI (Dr. Bisi Velayudhan at velayubt@jmu.edu).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.