Arkansas CURE (AR-CURE)
The AR-CURE Project—Synthetic Biology Workshop seeks to bring authentic Genomics and Bioinformatic research into your undergraduate curriculum.
2020 Workshop dates are
Sunday, June 17 -
Wednesday, June 20
Application due date: January 31, 2020
Email Dr. Nathan Reyna for more information
The Arkansas (AR):CURE project is excited to announce a new synthetic biology faculty workshop June 17 to 20, 2018, hosted by Ouachita Baptist University. This 3-day workshop will give faculty expertise to begin a Course-embedded Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) at their institutions. This workshop is 100% funded through an NSF RII Track 1 EPSCoR Grant. There is no cost associated with this workshop. Additionally, funds are available to offset a portion of travel expenses. Faculty from regional two-year undergraduate institutions, HBCUs, HSIs, and Tribal Colleges are strongly encouraged to apply.
We will conduct a workshop on synthetic biology as a means to provide complete information
on using this technology in a CURE at community colleges and four-year institutions.
While many research programs only involve a small number of upper-level students each
semester, the incorporation of research into the classroom expands the number of students
involved in experimental research, benefiting a larger number of diverse students
and potentially increasing scholastic rigor across entire academic programs.
The workshop will focus on the techniques of BioBrick assembly, molecular biology, and bioinformatics (computer science). A strong focus will be
put on classroom implementation strategies and pedagogy. Our goal is to help faculty
from schools that traditionally do not conduct student-oriented research projects
to begin a feasible research program. We will supply faculty with the training, logistical
support, and supplies to begin a synthetic biology CURE at their home institution.
Workshop dates are Sunday, June 14 to Wednesday, June 17, 2020
Quick Facts:
- Faculty from community colleges and four-year institutions are encouraged to apply. We encourage all faculty to apply and we affirm the potential impact of this program for faculty who teach at MSIs or two-year institutions, or those faculty members who are themselves members of underrepresented groups.
- Application deadline is January 24, 2020 / Selection by mid-February 2020
- We will pay for room and board on the Ouachita Baptist University campus in dorms with single rooms and shared bathrooms.
- Lab supplies are provided free of charge.
- Participants are encouraged to bring laptops if they can.
- Each attending school will receive a one-year subscription to the iGEM labs program (www.igem.com) and receive a distribution kit containing over 1,600 genetic “Parts” and plasmids for use in the classroom.
- For Undergraduate Faculty June 2019 at Ouachita Baptist University, Arkadelphia AR.
For more information about the AR:CURE project, contact Dr Nathan Reyna.
