PITT-SPURG Summer Program for Undergrad Research Growth

描述（由申请人提供）：匹兹堡大学本科生研究增长暑期项目（Pitt-SPURG）的总体目标是鼓励主修定量科学的本科生进入生物医学研究领域，向他们介绍生物信号转导和受体功能中的当代问题，这些问题受益于跨学科方法。Pitt-SPURG将利用导师对核和膜界定受体和细胞信号传导的关注，其中物理，生物化学和结构方法广泛应用于解决这些生物学问题。在为期10周的课程中，学生将在分子药理学课程教师的指导下进行受体，G蛋白或信号转导领域的原创研究。学生将使用最先进的技术解决生物医学科学前沿的问题。学生还将参加一系列专门的讲座，向物理和定量科学专业的学生介绍核和膜界定的受体和生物信号问题以及向他们介绍这一主题的技术方法。此外，他们将参加研讨会计划，旨在进一步了解科学过程和批判性分析，以及生物医学研究中的职业道路研讨会论坛。长期目标是促进对新研究人员的科学培训，利用跨学科方法解决这些学科的重大研究问题。未来的学生将从历史上适用于匹兹堡大学夏季研究项目的候选人中选出。该计划将在互联网网站上广泛宣传，在学生报纸上，向学院和大学发送邮件，大量学生追求研究生科学培训，并通过口头传播。一个由NIH资助的、经验丰富的研究人员核心被选为导师。申请人将被要求提交一份简历，包括个人资料，学术专业，平均成绩，以前的经验，以及他们的暑期研究的首选。暑期学生将根据执行委员会的优点和适合性和多样性的适当性进行选择。辅助活动将包括实验室安全和科学道德。在节目结束时，每个学生将在参加学生和导师的座谈会上介绍他/她的工作成果。所有成功完成课程的学生将获得证书。纵向随访将监测研究生培训和职业选择的学生参与这个程序，并将进入生物医学研究生，谁是定量科学专业，但没有参加皮特-SPURG或类似的程序进行比较。这种跟踪将提供对方案实现其目标的能力的评估。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The overall goal of the Pittsburgh Summer Program for Undergraduate Research Growth (Pitt-SPURG) is to encourage entry of undergraduates majoring in quantitative sciences into careers in biomedical research by introducing them to contemporary problems in biological signal transduction and receptor function that benefit from inter-disciplinary approaches. Pitt-SPURG will exploit the mentor focus on nuclear and membrane-delimited receptors and cell signaling, where there is extensive application of physical, biochemical and structural approaches to addressing these biological problems. During the 10-week program, students will conduct original research in an area of receptors, G proteins, or signal transduction under the mentored supervision of Molecular Pharmacology Program faculty. Students will work on problems at the frontier of biomedical science using state-of-the art techniques. Students will also follow a dedicated series of lectures to introduce physical and quantitative science majors to nuclear and membrane-delimited receptors and biological signaling problems and technical approaches to introduce them to this subject. Additionally, they will participate in a seminar program designed to further their understanding of the scientific process and critical analysis, and workshop forums on career paths within biomedical research. The long-term goal is to promote scientific training of new investigators that exploits interdisciplinary approaches to address significant research problems in these disciplines. Prospective students will be selected from a large and outstanding pool of candidates that historically apply to summer research programs at the University of Pittsburgh. The program will be widely advertised on internet websites, in student newspapers, mailings to college and universities with high numbers of students pursuing graduate scientific training, and by word of mouth. A core of NIH-funded, experienced investigators have been chosen as mentors. Applicants will be asked to submit a curriculum vita including personal data, academic major, grade point average, previous experience, and their top choices of summer research. Summer students will be selected based on merit and appropriateness of fit and diversity by the Executive Committee. Ancillary activities will include laboratory safety, and scientific ethics. At the end of the program, each student will present the results of his/her work at a colloquium of participating students and mentors. A certificate will be awarded to all students successfully completing the Program. Longitudinal follow-up will monitor graduate training and career choices elected by student participants in this program and will be compared with that of entering biomedical graduate students, who were quantitative science majors but did not participate in Pitt-SPURG or similar programs. This tracking will provide an assessment of the ability of the program to achieve its goals.