Feb. 19: AK UNiTE Research Network Kickoff Event for Potential Partners
by AK UNiTE |
![Biological Sciences Ph.D. student Maile Branson prepares samples of genetic material from birds to test for viruses in Professor Eric Bortz' lab in UAA's ConocoPhillips Integrated Science Building. (Photo by James Evans / University of Alaska Anchorage)](/news/archive/2021/02/_images/200131-bortz-virus-lab-jre-0246.jpg)
Collaborating Biology Faculty at the University of Alaska Anchorage, Kodiak College, Alaska Pacific University and the University of Washington, Tacoma were awarded a National Science Foundation Research Coordination Network in Undergraduate Biology Education (RCN-UBE) Incubator Grant. The purpose of this one-year incubator grant is to create a sustainable network of biology researchers across the state that will help provide place-based research opportunities for students attending an Alaska university.
To build this network, we are looking for biology researchers across Alaska to join us as we create new opportunities for budding scientists to engage in research in their “backyard.” With your help, we hope to bring the Alaska biology research community closer together to develop community partnerships with local research projects (e.g., local tribal councils, nonprofits, state and federal agencies across Alaska) and create pathways for future undergraduate research opportunities.
Funding at this stage of the project will provide modest stipends for undergraduate students and funds for research supplies. Funding will be available for undergraduate students that engage in research during summer 2021.
We are hosting a three-hour virtual kick-off event for potential network partners on Feb. 19 held via Zoom from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. with a 30-minute break for lunch. Please attend our first official network event to find out more about the various ways you can participate. Please register for the Zoom session in advance. You can also find additional information about the AK UNiTE network on the website.
This project is jointly funded by the Directorate for Biological Sciences, Division of Biological Infrastructure, and the Directorate for Education and Human Resources, Division of Undergraduate Education. [This funding supports efforts to address the challenges posed in "Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education: A Call to Action" with additional support provided by the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).] AK UNiTE is funded by the National Science Foundation RCN-UBE program award ID: 2019233.
If you are interested in participating or would like more information, please contact AKUNiTE@alaska.edu.
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