1. Strategies for Building Biological Infrastructure And On-Campus STEM Collaborations QEM Network Workshop Baltimore October 21, 2006

2. What do I want to do? What do I need to do it? Where do I go to get what I need?

3. Three Short Stories

4. Peggy West Assistant Professor Department of Plant Biology Serramonte Undergraduate College, CA Sudden Oak Death

5. Peggy wants to … Build a competitive research program Offer hands-on training for minority undergraduate students that have taken her courses and want to work in her group BUT… she has no start-up funds and no access to funding for students

6. Peggy needs … Research funds A new PCR machine Support for one or two undergraduate students in the summer and perhaps also during the year Travel funds to attend an upcoming meeting on plant pathogens

7. Where can Peggy get support? A Research Initiation Grant (RIG) would allow Peggy to request up to $150k for 2 years with a possible addition of up to $25k for equipment (NSF 05-581) Core programs in Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (MCB) and Plant Genome Research Program (NSF 05- 603) Additional students may be supported through Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU: NSF 05-592) supplements to ongoing NSF awards Research Experiences for Undergraduates Sites (REU: NSF 05-592) and Cross-Disciplinary Research at Undergraduate Institutions (cRUI: NSF 04-536) offer programmatic support

8. Rodrigo Bruna Assistant Professor Department of Natural History National College of Puerto Rico Coqui

9. Rodrigo wants to … Build a world-class research program in frog biology that includes undergraduate and graduate students BUT … there are no institutional funds to support training and a lack of critical equipment that has impacted his work

10. Rodrigo needs to… Find support for undergraduate students Find support for graduate training Build the necessary infrastructure to support his research and training programs Get his colleagues involved

11. Where can Rodrigo get support? Core programs in the Division of Environmental Biology (DEB) Undergraduate Mentoring in Environmental Biology (UMEB) program (NSF 05-558) NSF Graduate Teaching Fellowships in K-12 Education program (NSF 05-553) Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship Program (IGERT: NSF-05-517) Improvements in Facilities, Communications, and Equipment at Biological Field Stations and Marine Laboratories (FSML: NSF 05-550)

12. Bernyce Lightness Assistant Professor Department of Biology, Ballston University, VA Gene structure

13. Bernyce wants to … Branch out into a new research area – bioinformatics Build a new curriculum in bioinformatics BUT … no one in her department has expertise in this area and she has no funds to purchase computing equipment or get training

14. Bernyce needs to… Make connections with other researchers Find support for essential equipment and training Make time to focus on her new research interests

15. Where can Bernyce get support? Career Advancement Awards (CAA: NSF 05-581) Research Opportunity Awards (ROA: NSF 05-548) as a supplement to an ongoing grant to another PI Increasing the Participation and Advancement of Women in Academic Science and Engineering careers (ADVANCE: NSF 05-584) Bernyce should also consult the Plant Genome Research Outreach Portal (PGROP) for potential collaborators and training workshops: http://www.plantgdb.org/PGROP/pgrop.php

16. Think strategically! Call a Program Director – you might learn about additional opportunities in other Directorates! Network!

17. My Contact Information Jane Silverthorne Program Director Plant Genome Research Program Email:jsilvert@nsf.govjsilvert@nsf.gov Phone: (703) 292-8470 http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pi ms_id=5338&org=BIO