Oklahoma State University receives grant to promote undergrad research
Thursday, May 29, 2014
OSU’s program will be led by zoology professor Dr. Donald French with Drs. John Gelder,
John Gustafson, Gilbert John, Wouter Hoff and Janette Steets serving as key personnel
to help meet that challenge. Oklahoma State University students will be provided
research experiences suited to their level of skill and interest starting with introductory
biology and continuing throughout introductory courses offered by the departments
of biochemistry and molecular biology, botany, chemistry, microbiology and molecular
genetics, and zoology. Other portions of the grant will help develop a life-sciences
research scholar program to accelerate entry into research and help recruit Native
American students into the life sciences and support them along a research path through
collaborations with other programs on campus.
“The funding will enable faculty from multiple departments to revise and assess introductory
science courses and create a new and exciting research track for our students, with
multiple entry points to accommodate the diverse needs and interests of our students,”
French said. “We want to introduce them to the research and researchers at OSU and
to get them involved in related experiences as early as possible allowing them to
make the best decision about their academic and career choices.”
HHMI will award a total of $60 million over five years to 37 research universities,
selected from a pool of 170 and after three rounds of peer review. Since 1988, the
HHMI has awarded more than $935 million in grants to 274 public and private colleges
and universities to support science education in the United States.
French says OSU’s award will have an immediate impact.
“We plan to create an outstanding freshman experience in the life sciences for majors,
which will lead to an increase in life science graduates, especially among Native
Americans, ready for research, teaching, or health-related careers, and for non-majors,
whose preparation for careers and decision-making in the 21st century will all depend
on STEM knowledge and skills.”
About HHMI
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute plays an influential role in advancing scientific
research and education in the United States. Its scientists, located across the United
States, have made important discoveries that advance our fundamental understanding
of biology and its relation to human disease. In a complementary program at HHMI's
Janelia Research Campus in Loudoun County, Virginia, leading scientists are pursuing
long-term, high-risk, high-reward research in a campus designed to bring together
researchers from disparate disciplines. The Institute also aims to transform science
education into a creative, interdisciplinary endeavor that reflects the excitement
of real research. For more information, visit www.hhmi.org.
The Institute’s endowment at the close of fiscal 2013 was about $16.9 billion. HHMI’s
headquarters are located in Chevy Chase, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C.