REU Site: Understanding complex rural environments through the integration of field, laboratory, and quantitative biology

This REU Site award to Michigan State University’s Kellogg Biological Station (KBS), located in Hickory Corners, MI, will support the training of 10 students for 10 weeks during the summers of 2027- 2029. It is anticipated that a total of 30 students, primarily from schools with limited research opportunities, will be trained in the program. Students will learn how research is conducted and how to think like a scientist, gain professional and leadership skills, present their work at the KBS Summer Symposium, and many will present the results of their work at scientific conferences and be coauthors on publications. Students will conduct research integrating lab, field, and quantitative approaches that produces fundamental knowledge and applies this knowledge to human needs, especially in sustainable agriculture and conservation and restoration of natural habitats. A major goal is to retain students in STEM fields so they can contribute to the bioeconomy workforce, as well as produce engaged citizens who can draw conclusions based on evidence. We evaluate site impact using surveys of past participants and their mentors to document (i) presentations and publications resulting from research projects, (ii) STEM degrees conferred, and (iii) career outcomes for participants. Students should apply to the REU site using NSF ETAP (Education and Training Application: https://etap.nsf.gov). The training students will receive is aligned with NSF priorities in Artificial Intelligence. The REU Site program at KBS introduces students to the challenges and excitement of studying complex and changing rural environments, as well as how to communicate their science to a wide variety of audiences. Students work with their mentors to develop research questions and address these questions through observations and experiments. This includes writing a proposal, conducting independent research, collaborating with other students, analyzing data, and presenting results as a poster, or blog post. The program takes advantage of long-term experiments at KBS that provide a framework for investigating processes that underlie rural ecology and evolution at the organismal, population, community, and ecosystem levels. Students interact with a community of >100 scholars including faculty from the Integrative Biology, Plant Biology, Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, and Fisheries and Wildlife departments at MSU as well as visiting faculty from other departments and universities. The professional development program at KBS focuses on teaching science communication, career readiness, data analysis using R and AI tools, and responsible conduct of 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.