NSF Award Abstract -
#0436341| NSF Award Abstract -
#0436341 |
| NSF Org | DMS |
| Latest Amendment Date | September 8, 2004 |
| Award Number | 0436341 |
| Award Instrument | Continuing grant |
| Program Manager | Michael H. Steuerwalt DMS Division of Mathematical Sciences MPS Directorate for Mathematical & Physical Sciences |
| Start Date | September 15, 2004 |
| Expires | August 31, 2008 (Estimated) |
| Awarded Amount to Date | $640000 |
| Investigator(s) | Yang Kuang kuang@asu.edu (Principal Investigator) John Anderies (Co-Principal Investigator) |
| Sponsor | Arizona State University Box 3503 Tempe, AZ 85287 480/965-5479 |
| NSF Program(s) | MATHEMATICAL BIOLOGY, COMPUTATIONAL MATHEMATICS |
| Field Application(s) | 0000099 Other Applications NEC |
| Program Reference Code(s) | |
| Program Element Code(s) |
An interdisciplinary team of investigators carry out an undergraduate training initiative at Arizona State University. The training plan intimately combines new cross-disciplinary courses and summer research programs. The former are constructed to allow maximal participation among undergraduate cadres, and facilitate life science majors to achieve a minor in mathematics, and, likewise, mathematics majors to enrich their education with a minor in bioscience. The summer research program is a competitive enterprise involving at least eight ASU faculty members from life sciences, mathematics, and biophysics. Research projects span modeling of ecological and evolutionary processes through the new lens of stoichiometric constraints, bio-economics, chemostat theory, and modeling of visual perception. This project has potential to make broad impact in both local and global education environs. Regarding the former, the ASU UBM team is truly interdisciplinary, with members in mathematics, biology and biophysics, exceptionally well suited for interdisciplinary training for undergraduates in biological and mathematical sciences. Its collaborative efforts can provide undergraduate and graduate students of diverse ethnic/racial backgrounds with first-hand educational experience in cross-disciplinary communication and exploration. As for global impact, the proposed holistic approach (involving mathematical biology courses at various levels and summer research projects) in mathematical biology training can vertically integrate all the components in the ASU education system. It is therefore expected that this proposed program may yield many invaluable lessons to serve mathematical bioscience education and research nationwide, enriching the experience for the next generation of students in this integrative and interdisciplinary scientific endeavor.