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Manzanares M, Peña C, Kobak KC, Stratton MB. Ten simple rules for students navigating summer research experiences for undergraduates (REU) programs: From application to program completion. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1011573. [PMID: 37943799 PMCID: PMC10635516 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
For many emerging scientists, research experiences for undergraduates (REU) programs are an important gateway to graduate school and a career in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). REUs provide guided mentorship and learning experiences in a summer-long program where students develop research skills, build scientific knowledge, and strengthen their scientific identity. While the benefits of REUs are abundant, the process is not always easy to navigate, especially for students who come from first-generation and/or low-income (FLI) backgrounds. This paper provides two-fold guidance for undergraduate students interested in participating in REUs. Rules 1 to 5 focus on demystifying the application process from beginning to end, and Rules 6 to 10 guide students who are on the other side of the application process. Thus, this paper will be most helpful for undergraduate students who are either considering applying for an REU or have been accepted into one and want to learn more about what to expect. It can also be a shareable resource for faculty, staff, and mentors who work directly with STEM undergraduates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Manzanares
- Caltech, Student-Faculty Programs, Pasadena, California, United States of America
- Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, California, United States of America
| | - Courtney Peña
- Stanford Biosciences Grant Writing Academy, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Kayla C. Kobak
- Office of Graduate Education, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Engineering Undergraduate Research Office, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Miranda B. Stratton
- Office of Graduate Education, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- School of Medicine Human Resources Group Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
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Mura C, Chalupa M, Newbury AM, Chalupa J, Bourne PE. Ten simple rules for starting research in your late teens. PLoS Comput Biol 2020; 16:e1008403. [PMID: 33211694 PMCID: PMC7676678 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Cameron Mura
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
- School of Data Science, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
- * E-mail: (CM); (PEB)
| | - Mike Chalupa
- City Neighbors Foundation, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Abigail M. Newbury
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Jack Chalupa
- City Neighbors Foundation, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Philip E. Bourne
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
- School of Data Science, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
- * E-mail: (CM); (PEB)
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Lescak EA, O’Neill KM, Collu GM, Das S. Ten simple rules for providing a meaningful research experience to high school students. PLoS Comput Biol 2019; 15:e1006920. [PMID: 31022174 PMCID: PMC6483153 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Emily A. Lescak
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, Alaska, United States of America
| | - Kate M. O’Neill
- Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Giovanna M. Collu
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Regenerative Biology and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Subhamoy Das
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
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Anupama J, Francescatto M, Rahman F, Fatima N, DeBlasio D, Shanmugam AK, Satagopam V, Santos A, Kolekar P, Michaut M, Guney E. The ISCB Student Council Internship Program: Expanding computational biology capacity worldwide. PLoS Comput Biol 2018; 14:e1005802. [PMID: 29346365 PMCID: PMC5772997 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Education and training are two essential ingredients for a successful career. On one hand, universities provide students a curriculum for specializing in one’s field of study, and on the other, internships complement coursework and provide invaluable training experience for a fruitful career. Consequently, undergraduates and graduates are encouraged to undertake an internship during the course of their degree. The opportunity to explore one’s research interests in the early stages of their education is important for students because it improves their skill set and gives their career a boost. In the long term, this helps to close the gap between skills and employability among students across the globe and balance the research capacity in the field of computational biology. However, training opportunities are often scarce for computational biology students, particularly for those who reside in less-privileged regions. Aimed at helping students develop research and academic skills in computational biology and alleviating the divide across countries, the Student Council of the International Society for Computational Biology introduced its Internship Program in 2009. The Internship Program is committed to providing access to computational biology training, especially for students from developing regions, and improving competencies in the field. Here, we present how the Internship Program works and the impact of the internship opportunities so far, along with the challenges associated with this program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jigisha Anupama
- University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- * E-mail: (JA); (EG)
| | | | - Farzana Rahman
- Genomics and Computational Biology Group, School of Computing and Mathematics, University of South Wales, Treforest, Wales, United Kingdom
| | - Nazeefa Fatima
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Dan DeBlasio
- Computational Biology Department, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | | | - Venkata Satagopam
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, Université du Luxembourg, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
| | - Alberto Santos
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Magali Michaut
- The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Emre Guney
- Joint IRB-BSC-CRG Program in Computational Biology, Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- * E-mail: (JA); (EG)
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Forero DA, Lopez-Leon S, Patrinos GP. Ten simple rules for international short-term research stays. PLoS Comput Biol 2017; 13:e1005832. [PMID: 29216186 PMCID: PMC5720493 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Diego A. Forero
- Laboratory of NeuroPsychiatric Genetics, Biomedical Sciences Research Group, School of Medicine, Universidad Antonio Nariño, Bogotá, Colombia
- PhD Program in Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Universidad Antonio Nariño, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Sandra Lopez-Leon
- Global Drug Development, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, East Hanover, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - George P. Patrinos
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Patras School of Health Sciences, Patras, Greece
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates
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Aicher TP, Barabási DL, Harris BD, Nadig A, Williams KL. Ten simple rules for getting the most out of a summer laboratory internship. PLoS Comput Biol 2017; 13:e1005606. [PMID: 28817622 PMCID: PMC5560542 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Toby P. Aicher
- Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vermont, United States of America
| | - Dániel L. Barabási
- Department of Physics, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Benjamin D. Harris
- Department of Biology, Colgate University, Hamilton, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Ajay Nadig
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Kaitlin L. Williams
- Department of Life Sciences, Carroll University, Waukesha, Wisconsin, United States of America
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