REU Site: Genes & the Environment

This REU Site award to the University of North Dakota, located in Grand Forks, ND, will support the training of 10 students for 10 weeks during the summers of 2026-2028. It is anticipated that a total of 30 students, primarily from schools with limited research opportunities, will be trained in the program and contribute to development of the US STEM workforce. Students will participate in research that will advance knowledge in the biosciences, cellular and molecular biology, ecology, genetics, bioinformatics, neuroscience, and computational biology. This research experience will foster collaboration between researchers at the University of North Dakota and students from other institutions, contributing to academic and scientific progress. This research will provide foundational information underlying future developments that will improve the quality of life for numerous people and communities. Through their research, students will gain skills in biotechnology and data analysis that will allow them to pursue careers in science and technology and positively impact economic growth. Students will learn how research is conducted, and many will present the results of their work at their home institutions and at scientific conferences. Assessment of this program will be done through documentation of research products and surveys of participating faculty and students. Students should apply to the REU site using NSF ETAP (Education and Training Application: https://etap.nsf.gov). Through the theme of gene regulation, REU students will learn lab techniques, conduct research, and engage in professional development and other activities designed to enhance retention in STEM, culminating in a poster presentation at a Research Symposium. Research will be conducted under the mentorship of faculty in the Departments of Biology and Biomedical Sciences. Participating faculty mentors conduct wide-ranging biological research, yet there is continuity between the projects, concepts, and techniques. This allows interactions between labs, fostering creativity, and enhancing intellectual development. Weekly REU student meetings increase peer interactions and demonstrate the value of communication and collaboration. Enrichment activities include instruction in lab techniques, weekly career and research seminars, field collection trip(s) and professional development sessions, including a writing workshop, responsible conduct of research, use of animals in research, and a graduate student panel. In addition to the student research experiences, major goals of this program are to: promote an interest in research and science careers, encourage professional development of participants, mentor students to complete their undergraduate degrees and enter graduate programs, and strengthen collaborations between rural college faculty and researchers at the University of North Dakota. 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.