The
Howard Hughes Summer Scholars Program
Research
in Genomics and Bioinformatics for Rising Duke Juniors and Seniors
Summer 2006 was the
last year for this program
June
5 - July 28, 2006
Print
information and application
"The genomics revolution that is currently underway
will undoubtedly transform clinical medicine, agriculture, environmental
management, and essentially all fields of applied science on which biology
has an impact. The emerging genomic information, coupled with the development
of suitable tools to analyze and interpret such information, is now
allowing investigators to attack major questions in biology that were
previously inaccessible for the most part. Essentially all these questions
center on the enormous complexity of biological systems."
Building On Excellence (Strategic Plan), Duke University
|
|
Advances in the genome sciences and their application
provide great opportunities for understanding biology and health, but
also raise a broad spectrum of ethical, legal and policy issues for society
at large. The relevance of these issues to society creates an urgent need
to build bridges among researchers, clinicians, policy makers, business
leaders and the general public. Duke Institute for Genome Sciences
and Policy |
The Howard Hughes Summer Scholars Program
The
Howard Hughes Summer Scholars Program offers undergraduates the opportunity
to develop specific knowledge and research skills in genomics, bioinformatics
or related areas over eight weeks this summer. Ten of the selected participants will be engaged
in research projects with faculty scientists at Duke; two participants will
engage in projects with oversight from faculty in the Center for Genome Ethics,
Law and Policy. Because scientists working within a wide variety of science
disciplines currently apply the insights and methodologies of genomics and bioinformatics
in their research, Summer Scholars as a group will also represent research over
broad continuums-from molecular to evolutionary biology, from microbiology to
animal and plant biology, and from computer algorithms to moral deliberations.
Acceptance
into the Summer Scholars program provides rising juniors and rising seniors
in Trinity College with eight weeks of support either to begin or to continue
an ongoing research project in genomics or bioinformatics. Students with no
prior experience in these areas may apply and request to be matched with a Duke
research team headed by a faculty mentor. Students who seek support to continue
in an ongoing project in genomics, bioinformatics or a related area such as
proteomics or computational biology, may apply to the Summer Scholars Program
and thereby receive summer support. Due to stipend support, participants are
not eligible to receive salary from their mentors during the eight weeks of
the program. Projects must be conducted on campus under the guidance of a Duke
faculty mentor.
Dates
for the 2006 Summer Scholars Program are Monday, June 5 - Friday, July 28, 2006.
In addition to their individual projects, Howard Hughes Summer Scholars will
attend faculty seminars and various information sessions for research and career
topics. At the end of the program, participants will prepare professional posters
and present their project and results at a poster session held jointly with
other Howard Hughes-sponsored programs on campus. Summer Scholars will be engaged
in research and program activities on a full time basis and will not be able
to enroll in courses during that period. The 2006 Summer Scholars Program participant
will each receive a $3300 stipend and either housing on campus or a housing
supplement for an off-campus residence.
Eligibility
The Summer Scholars program is open to current sophomores and juniors in Trinity
College of Arts and Sciences.
For laboratory placements, applicants will be expected to demonstrate the
following:
strong academic ability in both the biological and quantitative sciences;
serious interest in contemporary biological questions and the role for
genomics and bioinformatics in addressing those questions;
qualification in quantitative skills as shown by credit for Math 32/32L
or a higher level course in mathematics, computer science, or statistics;
completion or current enrollment in at least one of the following: Biology
103L, 105, 118, 119, 124, 152, 184L, or independent research in a defined project
in a related research area.
For placements in the Center for Genome Ethics, Policy and Law, applicants
will be expected to demonstrate:
a basic understanding of biology, including genetics, through completion of
an introductory biology course or the AP equivalent
serious interest in contemporary social and health problems arising from the
application of genomic technologies and understanding;
familiarity with basic computer spreadsheet and/or statistical applications.
Note that previous research in biology is not required for acceptance into
the Summer Scholars Program. The program offers both a gateway into research
and scholarly projects in genomics and bioinformatics as well as support for
an ongoing research project in these or related areas. Thus, there are two application
formats as described under Application.
Stipend, Room and Board, Travel
The
Summer Scholars Program provides participants with a stipend of $3,300 and housing
support during the 8-week program. Students who live on campus will be assigned
to single bedroom furnished apartments on Central Campus. Central Campus has
facilities for swimming, basketball, and tennis, and a park area with picnic
tables. Laundry facilities are located throughout the complex. Central Campus
apartments are a 10-minute walk (through Duke Gardens) to West Campus; bus service
is provided at regular intervals between Central Campus and other areas of the
university. Alternatively, students may request a housing supplement ($800)
for an off-campus residence and make their own living arrangements. Students
who received need-based financial aid for the preceding academic year may apply
for up to $200 reimbursement for travel to and from the program.
Application Procedure
The
deadline for submitting completed applications for the 2006 Summer Scholars
Program is Friday, March 3, 2006 . Students
will be notified of acceptance within two weeks of the application deadline.
All communication for the program will be done through e-mail.
Applicants
must submit (1) a completed application form with attachments, including the statement,
as indicated on the form, (2) an official Duke transcript and (3) two letters
of recommendation. If the applicant proposes to extend an ongoing research project,
one of the two letters must be from the faculty mentor. The Registrar will mail
an official transcript when requested by students through a link on their ACES
menu; applicants may also submit sealed transcripts obtained from the Registrar.
Applications, letters and transcripts should be addressed to:
Howard Hughes Summer Scholars Program *
c/o The Undergraduate Research Support Office
011 Allen Building, Box 90051
Campus Mail
(or from off campus, Durham, NC 27708)
(Letters may also be faxed to 919-660-0488)
Print
information and application
*
Note that there are multiple programs at Duke sponsored by the Howard Hughes
grant to Trinity College of Arts and Sciences. To avoid delay, please make sure
that “Summer Scholars” is entered on all materials and addresses.
Laboratory Research Project Titles of 2005 Summer Scholars
The Role of Arabidopsis WRKY18 in Systematic Acquired Resistance
Expression of Affinity-Tagged Recombinant Chlamydia Proteins for the Immuno-surveillance of Human Immune Responses
Folate and Homocysteine: What You Eat and What You Bleed
The History of PCR: Effect of Intellectual Property on Development and Dissemination
Identification of Proteins that Interact with Short-Root
Genomic History of the Cloning Vector pBR322
Deconvolution of Time Course Data in S. cerevisiae with Cell Cycle Parameters
Resolution of Phylogenetic Structure in the Order Chytridiales
Expression of the Calcineurin Stress Response Pathway in Aspergillus fumigatus
The Role of Transforming Growth Factor- beta Type III Receptor in Bone Morphogenetic Protein Signaling
Functional Changes in Expression of the Gene prodynorphin During Human Origins
Edwin Southern’s Inventions: Histories of the Southern Blot and the Microarray
Thermodyanmics of Lipid Assisted Folding: Using SUPREX to Analyze the Change in Folding Free Energy of Lipid Soluble Proteins
Patterns of Duplication and Natural Selection in a Mussel Gamete Recognition Gene
