NEBRASKA TRAINING NETWORK IN FUNCTIONAL GENOMICS

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This project is to develop the human
resources and technological infrastructure for the State of Nebraska in the
area of Functional Genomics through the formation of a statewide network of
cooperating undergraduate and graduate institutions. Multidisciplinary
research teams, consisting of faculty members and students, will be developed
at five participating undergraduate institutions. The BRIN project will
support faculty research on these campuses by providing release time from
teaching commitments, through the purchase of essential equipment, and by
providing funds for research supplies. Undergraduate students will be
supported through the development of a BRIN Scholars program designed to
involve them in biomedical research early in their academic careers. Access
to the enriched biomedical research experience will be through the TMC at the
graduate institutions. BRIN Scholars will spend one summer at a graduate
institution participating in an eight-week Research Foundations Workshop
designed to introduce them to research tools used in the areas of
bioinformatics and functional genomics. Upon returning to their undergraduate
institutions, scholars will participate in supervised research projects under
the supervision of BRIN-supported faculty members. The scholars will return
to the graduate institutions for a second summer to work in the laboratories
of well-established faculty mentors on each campus. Each scholar will prepare
a "Senior Thesis" or other written report and present the results of their
research at an annual BRIN Symposium held in conjunction with the meeting of
the Nebraska Academy of Sciences. BRIN scholars who pursue advanced degrees
at one of the graduate institutions will be provided with full fellowships for
the duration of their graduate studies.
The BRIN project will also support the further development of cutting-edge
core laboratories at the graduate institutions. The BC will provide training,
service in, and access to all aspects of bioinformatics including: 1)
computing services and electronic networking, 2) genetic sequence analysis, 3)
molecular modeling, 4) database mining, and 4) information retrieval
associated with the Libraries of Medicine. The BRIN project will support the
SFGC and SGPC. These facilities will provide training and service to
participants in the BRIN project as well as investigators supported on COBRE
projects. BRIN support of these centralized facilities, in the form of
provision of advanced equipment, and salary support for scientific and
technical personnel and supplies will help ensure their availability to BRIN
Scholars, as well as investigators at all academic institutions through the
State of Nebraska.