| NSF Org: |
DMS Division Of Mathematical Sciences |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | February 4, 2015 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | June 27, 2019 |
| Award Number: | 1461163 |
| Award Instrument: | Continuing Grant |
| Program Manager: |
James Matthew Douglass
mdouglas@nsf.gov (703)292-2467 DMS Division Of Mathematical Sciences MPS Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences |
| Start Date: | May 1, 2015 |
| End Date: | April 30, 2019 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $449,997.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $539,997.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
FY 2016 = $149,999.00 FY 2017 = $149,999.00 |
| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
1960 KENNY RD COLUMBUS OH US 43210-1016 (614)688-8735 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
1735 Neil Avenue Columbus OH US 43210-1220 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | WORKFORCE IN THE MATHEMAT SCI |
| Primary Program Source: |
01001617DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT 01001718DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT |
| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.049 |
ABSTRACT
The goal of this project is to establish a multi-institution research experience for undergraduate students (REU) in the mathematical biosciences, facilitated by the Mathematical Biosciences Institute (MBI) at The Ohio State University. The objectives of the program are: (1) to introduce undergraduate students at all levels to the field of mathematical biology; (2) to encourage students to pursue graduate study in the mathematical biosciences; and (3) to increase the number of students who enter the workforce with training in this field. Students will work on applying mathematics and statistics to research in areas such as molecular evolution, neuronal patterns, cancer modeling, epidemic models and vaccination strategies, and models of sensory systems, such as vision and smell. The infrastructure provided by the MBI gives the necessary resources to accomplish these goals by providing both an authentic research experience as well as exposure to the field of mathematical biology broadly.
The program consists of three components. The first is a week-long Overview of Mathematical Biosciences, which consists of lectures by experts in the field, laboratory tours and field trips, and computer exercises using the Matlab software. This is held at the MBI in Columbus, OH annually in the second week of June. Following completion of the one-week overview session, the students will travel to one of MBI's Institute Partners to participate in an 8-week mentored research experience at the host institution. Finally, the participants will join other students doing research in the mathematical biosciences and present their results at a Capstone Conference hosted by the MBI. Throughout the program, a cohort will be maintained by weekly virtual seminars and discussions among participating institutions. They will work in pairs under the guidance of one or more mentors to make genuine research contributions in these areas, often leading to publications in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at conferences. The student participants will develop skills needed to continue work in these areas and to pursue graduate study. Their involvement in this research will expand the group of students trained to work in the field of mathematical biology.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
The MBI Distributed Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program brought together undergraduates from various institutions to learn more about opportunities in the mathematical biosciences. From 2015 to 2018, the MBI hosted the REU program in three parts. First an introductory week at MBI brought all of the undergraduate participants together for a series of lectures by researchers in a variety of areas across the mathematical biosciences, providing an overview of the field. Students also participated in tutorials on programming in software such as Matlab, XPPAUT, R, and LaTeX and toured campus laboratories. The second component of the program was a mentored research experience at a host institution such as Indiana University - Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI), New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), Pennsylvania State University (PSU), or the Ohio State University (OSU). Cohorts of three students were hosted by each university to ensure a sense of student community; students could choose among multiple researchers and projects at each site. Finally, the students returned to MBI after completion of this mentored research experience for a Capstone Conference - a comprehensive student centered workshop designed to provide the experience of participating in a scientific conference while encouraging interest in research and in attending graduate school in the mathematical biosciences. The Capstone Conference featured posters and talks by the REU participants, as well as keynote lectures by prominent researchers in the mathematical biosciences, panel discussions, and a graduate school fair. The Capstone Conference was open to all undergraduate students doing research in the mathematical biosciences, not only to students participating in the MBI distributed REU.
Over the time of this award we had a total of 367 applicants with 48 undergraduates accepted and mentored through the full REU program. Following this experience, most participants reported that they were likely or very likely to pursue graduate education in the mathematical biosciences.
Last Modified: 08/29/2019
Modified by: Janet A Best
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