Larger Funded Research Initiatives

Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Grant

This project is a collaboration between the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Northwestern University to undertake a major reform of its undergraduate biological science training program by emphasizing inquiry-based learning, by introducing students early on to the compelling realities of laboratory investigation and by providing a research-informed context for scientific learning from the first months of matriculation through graduation.

Components of the program include:

• the NU Bioscientist Program for incoming freshmen (a course on the societal context of biomedical research, a peer-facilitated research preparation course and research experience in a lab)
• a major revitalization of the introductory biological sciences series, BIOLSCI 210
• a faculty development program for current faculty, post-docs and graduate students
• the BIOEXCEL program to increase the number of under-represented students who complete the BIOSCI 210 course sequence.

The Searle Center will be involved in developing all 4 components of the program and will carry out a very detailed evaluation of program components as well as the impact of the program at an institutional level.

(HHMI grant (SP0008821) $2,000,000 over 4 years)