Proposal

Narrative

A hallmark mission at FAU is the development and expansion of undergraduate research opportunities that include hands-on and cutting-edge training. This is especially necessary on the Jupiter Campus which houses the Wilkes Honors College and FAU/Max Planck high school, as both programs have a thesis requirement for graduation. In addition, students majoring in Neuroscience, Cognition and Behavior have limited options for animal behavior coursework. In order to meet the research demand set forth by the number of students in these programs, CURE (course-based undergraduate research experiences) courses have been developed to augment research training opportunities provided by FAU. CURE courses use novel and innovative methods to train students in state-of-the-art skills while also educating them in the practice of scientific research. The funds requested will offset the costs of expanding the CURE offerings for students interested in scientific research at FAU through the creation of a new Animal Behavior Research CURE course. This plan is in direct alignment with FAU’s commitment to improve accessibility to upper-level hands-on research intensive courses as well as independent undergraduate research through the purchase of upgraded equipment, software licenses and cloud-based electronic notebooks that will be integrated into the Jupiter Campus MC-19 mouse behavior facility. The lab will teach students how to design, execute and analyze animal behavior experiments, and students will be trained on appropriate note taking skills and the best practices for turning those notes into peer-reviewed publications. Learning these practical techniques will better prepare students for more advanced research opportunities and make them more attractive candidates in the competitive STEM job market. As the Jupiter Campus continues to develop, the demand for novel research training opportunities for students also grows.

Facilities

No renovations or facilities upgrades are needed. The funds requested will go toward the purchase of new technology hardware and software which will be integrated into the mouse behavior facility in MC-19.

Hardware Requirements

A strong working knowledge and skill set in data management principles and practice increases productivity in science. Universities across the globe are now implementing courses and degree programs that place a large emphasis on data management principles. Along with the LabArchives software, we will have the ability to train undergraduate students on the best practices for research data management. -5 Microsoft Surface Pro 9 tablet computers and keyboard with pen: $5,899.90 MedAssociates equipment is requested to increase the throughput of data collected. In addition, it will allow for more students to train on animal behavior in a given course semester. -2 MedAssociates Fear Chambers with Interface Box and 2 MedAssociates 5-CSRTT chambers with Interface Box: $43,148.00

Software Requirements

Appropriate data management is difficult to achieve with outdated paper lab notebooks. LabArchives is a web-based program that was specifically tailored to the scientific community for the storage, organization, sharing and publishing of research data. This program promotes detailed and secure record keeping while also enables easy sharing of data for collaborations. With the resources secured by the technology funding, we will be able to teach students about the importance of secure data recording while maintaining high throughput and productivity. 10 LabArchives licenses for 3 years: $9,360.00

Personnel Costs

There are no personnel costs.

Other Costs

No additional costs are associated with this project.

Timeline

Provided that the funds requested through this tech fee are awarded, implementation of the Animal Behavior CURE will commence Fall 2023. The course was designed to run every semester (fall, spring and summer) and would initially be labelled an upper-level special topics course and after a few semesters will be eligible receive a research-intensive designation. Upon completion of the course (one semester maximum), students will have the opportunity to continue working with the Stackman laboratory to conduct independent animal behavior research.

Sustainability

Upon purchase of the proposed equipment and software, the Animal Behavior CURE will be an active course running every semester. The equipment will be maintained by Dr. Cohen and the Stackman Lab as they will perform the routine maintenance of the new equipment along with the other equipment currently in place. The demand for more research-intensive courses in Jupiter is continuously growing and the implementation of additional CURE courses is paramount to the overall success of students on this campus. This course is in direct alignment with the missions set forth by the university to create enhanced learning opportunities for undergraduate students, which will ultimately lead to workforce readiness amongst its graduates. Implementation of his CURE course will increase the sustainability of research on the Jupiter campus and enhance the training opportunities afforded to students in the College of Science, Wilkes Honors College and FAU/Max Planck High School.

Resource Matching

Not applicable.

Implementing Organization

The Office of the Academic Affairs in Jupiter will the implementing organization. Dr. Sarah Cohen, under the guidance of Dr. Robert Stackman, would be the individuals to implement the course.