IGERT: Computational Molecular Biology Training Group

This Integrative Graduate Education and Research Training (IGERT) award supports the establishment of a multidisciplinary graduate training program of education and research

in computational molecular biology. Due to advances in molecular biology over the past fifteen years, biological questions can now be approached at new levels of complexity. Rather than dissecting individual components of a biological system, system-wide analytical approaches can be pursued. A critical factor in this paradigm shift has been the availability of vast amounts of genomic sequence and expression data. Iowa State University will establish a Computational Molecular Biology Training Group to provide graduate students with the necessary skills to explore complex biological questions. This group will be composed of 25 investigators with diverse areas of expertise, including evolutionary, molecular and structural biology, computer science, mathematics and statistics. Students will be trained to discern biological information from genome sequence and expression data and will focus on four interrelated areas of research: genomics, bioinformatics, genome evolution, and macromolecular structure and function. By infusing training in the biological sciences with the analytic perspective of mathematics and computer science, Iowa State University will create an exciting learning environment in which to prepare students for the challenges and opportunities presented by the post-genomics era.

IGERT is an NSF-wide program intended to facilitate the establishment of innovative, research-based graduate programs that will train a diverse group of scientists and engineers to be well-prepared to take advantage of a broad spectrum of career options. IGERT provides doctoral institutions with an opportunity to develop new, well-focussed multidisciplinary graduate programs that transcend organizational boundaries and unite faculty from several departments or institutions to establish a highly interactive, collaborative environment for both training and research. In this second year of the program, awards are being made to twenty-one institutions for programs that collectively span all areas of science and engineering supported by NSF. This specific award is supported by funds from the Directorates for Biological Sciences, for Computer and Information Science and Engineering, for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (Office of Multidisciplinary Activities), and for Education and Human Resources.