CHEVY CHASE, Md., February 10, 2000 -- What kind of education, training and experience do undergraduates need today if they are to become successful research biologists in the future? That's the question that the National Research Council will examine in a new study that has received $100,000 in support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI).
The National Research Council -- the operating arm of the National Academies of Sciences and Engineering -- will assemble a committee of experts from universities and elsewhere to consider how undergraduates can best gain the knowledge and skills needed for research careers in the rapidly changing biomedical sciences. The committee will compare the educational needs of this area with those in related disciplines and discuss how educators should deal with emerging fields such as bioinformatics. It also will form sub-panels to examine how biology education relates to disciplines such as chemistry, physics, mathematics and engineering.
The committee will produce a report with recommendations, along with case studies and a review of best practices. The three-year project, which will be administered by the National Research Council's Board on Biology, has a total budget of $1.2 million.
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute employs scientists in cell biology, genetics, immunology, neuroscience and structural biology. More than 300 Hughes investigators conduct medical research in HHMI laboratories at 71 outstanding academic medical centers and universities nationwide. Through its complementary grants program, HHMI also supports science education in the United States and a select group of researchers abroad.
For more information, contact David Jarmul, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 4000 Jones Bridge Road, Chevy Chase, MD 20815-6789, Tel: (301) 215-8857, Email: jarmuld@hhmi.org .