REU Site: SURFing the Interface between Chemistry and Biology

This REU Site award to The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology, located in Jupiter, FL, will support the training of 10 students for 10 weeks during the summers of 2024-2026. It is anticipated that a total of 30 students, primarily from schools with limited research opportunities or from an under-represented group, will be trained in the program. Through hands-on experience in one of the institute’s world-class laboratories, students will learn how laboratory research is conducted. In addition, professional development and research seminars develop writing, presentation, and other skills and provide information about graduate school. The program is geared to prepare students for successful graduate careers in science, strengthening the pipeline of young scientists. Besides the final poster presentation, many will present the results of their work at scientific conferences. Program assessment will be done through an online tool, and participants will be tracked to determine their career paths. Reflecting the research strengths of UF Scripps, the program provides research opportunities at the interface between chemistry and biology. Participants will be able to conduct research in any of our five departments: Chemistry, Immunology, Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, Molecular Medicine, and Neuroscience. Research projects are interdisciplinary, reflecting the collaborative nature of modern science. In addition to hands-on experience on the bench, students will participate in professional development and research seminars, including ethics/responsible conduct of research training and social events. Students must apply through the NSF-ETAP system. After an initial selection by the program faculty, they will be interviewed by the PI. 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.