Faculty Application for Participation in the BU-HHMI Interdisciplinary Research Program
Name:
Department:
email:
Program Overview
You and a collaborating faculty member would be mentoring two undergraduate students on a
project starting in the summer and continuing until the end of April.
The project must ask a question in the life sciences that also involves mathematics, computer
science, chemistry, physics, geology or engineering. Each project receives support in the form of a
$4000 stipend for each undergraduate student, $2000 for supplies for each undergraduate student
and $1000 for each graduate student who participates fully as a graduate mentor. Undergraduates
can only be supported for one year.
Please note: to participate in this program you and your collaborator must be available on
campus for most of the summer 9 week program. (May 27, 2014 – July 25, 2014).
1) Have you been a faculty mentor in BU-HHMI? If no, please skip to #2
If yes, is the project for 2014-2015:
a) a continuation?
If you are/were involved in more than one project, which ones?
b) entirely different but with same collaborator?
Collaborator’s name:
c) entirely different with a different collaborator?
Collaborator’s name if known:
2) Do you already have a project in mind?
No, If you do not have a project in mind but would like to participate in the program what is
your area of expertise?
Yes, continue below:
a) What is the life science question that will be answered by this project?
b) Do you already have a collaborator in mind?
Yes, Collaborators name and contact information:
No, If you do not have a collaborator in mind what other expertise besides life sciences is
needed for this project? Please describe below.
3) If you have a project in mind please answer the following questions.
a) There are two undergraduates per project, please briefly describe what each will do.
Life Science Student:
Physical Science, Math, Computer Science or Engineering Student:
b) What course background and skills do students need to perform the research you expect
from them?
Life Science Student:
Physical Science, Math, Computer Science or Engineering Student:
Note about undergraduate students:
The goal of the undergraduate biology education grant program of the HHMI is to “educate the
scientific leaders of the future”. To fulfill expectations of the HHMI, we need a diverse cohort of
undergraduate research students in this program with emphasis on underrepresented students defined
as African-American, Hispanics, Native Americans and U.S. Pacific Islanders (still governed by the
U.S.) as well as female students in computer science, engineering, physics, geology and chemistry.
Students are not named to the program. All apply. In their applications, students write down two
research programs that they are interested in. A committee considers the application, which often
includes an interview. The final selection of students is carried out by the collaborating faculty
mentors. We ask that at least three students be interviewed for each position and for a ranking order
of the students.
c) Can you recruit underrepresented students as defined above?
d) Would you announce the program in the course that you teach and/or ask colleagues in
your department to announce the program in their course?
4) Do you have a Ph. D student available who can act as a graduate mentor. There should be
two: one from life science and one from physical science, math, computer science or
engineering.
Life Science
Name:
Degree expected and date:
Physical science, math, computer science or engineering
Name:
Degree expected and date:
a) Have either of these graduate students previously participated in the BU-HHMI program?
Who?
Note about graduate mentors:
Preference will be given to collaborative projects that will have graduate mentors formally
participating in the program. It is not necessary that they have participated previously.
According to the rules of HHMI, graduate students cannot be paid as mentors. However they
can be paid under the heading of “future faculty training”. The total compensation for the
year is $1,000. They must attend a three day workshop at the end of May, 2014 and specific
events scheduled in the summer and academic year that relate to the evaluation of the
undergraduate students they mentor throughout the year. The time devoted to mentoring is
flexible but to complete the evaluations, they have to attend specific meetings. A student
whose summer is committed to another job with an inflexible schedule, for instance, should
not be named a graduate mentor.