Quality Education for Minorities (QEM) Network Workshop

National Science Foundation (NSF)’s Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO)

Embassy Suites Hotel New Orleans Convention Center • New Orleans, LA

315 Julia Street · New Orleans, LA 70130 · 504/525-1993

March 30-31, 2007

AGENDA

FRIDAY, MARCH 30

AM

8:30 Registration Bayou Jean Lafitte

Section 4, Sixth Floor

9:00 Opening Plenary Session

Welcome, Purpose, and Introductions

Shirley McBay, President, QEM Network

9:15 Welcoming Remarks

Overview of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the

Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO)

Thomas Brady, Division Director, Integrative Organismal Systems (IOS)/BIO

9:45 BIO Proposal Preparation and the NSF Merit Review Criteria and Review Process

Parag Chitnis, Program Director

BIO/Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (MCB)

10:30 Coffee Break

10:45 Three Concurrent Division-focused Sessions

- Overview of Programs, Priorities, and Processes by BIO Division

- Initial Presentation of Participants’ Proposed Project Summaries

Session I: Division of Integrative Organismal Systems (IOS) Andrew Jackson Board Room

Judith Venuti, Program Director, IOS

Casonya Johnson, BIO Award Recipient, and Associate Professor

Morgan State University

Session II: Division of Environmental Biology (DEB) and Diamond A

Division of Biological Infrastructure (DBI)

Helen Hansma, Program Director, DBI

Sally O’Connor, Program Director, DBI

James Raich, Program Director, DEB

Elizabeth Walsh, BIO Award Recipient, and Associate Professor

University of Texas at El Paso

Session III: Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (MCB) Bayou Jean Lafitte

Section 4, Sixth Floor

Parag Chitnis, Program Director

Lucy Robinson, Program Director

Margaret Johnson, Associate Professor, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa

BIO Award Recipient and Former NSF Program Director, BIO/MCB

David Rockcliffe, BIO Award Recipient, and Associate Professor

Kentucky State University

PM

12:30 Luncheon Plenary Session Bayou Jean Lafitte

Section 4, Sixth Floor

1:15 Mock Panel Review

Cast: Helen Hansma, Program Officer

Parag Chitnis, Science Assistant

Marion Carroll, Panelist

Margaret Johnson, Panelist

Sally O’Connor, Panelist

James Raich, Panelist

Lucy Robinson, Panelist

David Rockcliffe, Panelist

Judy Venuti, Panelist

Elizabeth Walsh, Panelist

2:00 Three Concurrent Division-focused Sessions, continued (in same locations)

Implications of Proposal Preparation and NSF Review Criteria Discussion

for Participants’ Proposals/Proposal Concepts

Session I: Division of Integrative Organismal Systems (IOS)

Session II: Division of Environmental Biology (DEB) and

Division of Biological Infrastructure (DBI)

Session III: Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (MCB)

(Two Breakout Groups)

MCB Group A:

Parag Chitnis, Program Director

David Rockcliffe, Kentucky State University

MCB Group B:

Lucy Robinson, Program Director

Margaret Johnson, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa

3:30 Coffee Break

3:45 Plenary Session Bayou Jean Lafitte

Section 4, Sixth Floor

- Strategies for Building Biological Infrastructure and

On-Campus STEM Collaborations

Helen Hansma, Program Director, DBI

- Undergraduate Training Programs

Sally O’Connor, Program Director, DBI

5:15 Break

6:00 Dinner on Your Own

SATURDAY, MARCH 31

AM

8:45 Three Concurrent Division-focused Sessions, continued (in same locations)

Refinement of Proposals/Proposal Concepts by Participants

Session I: Division of Integrative Organismal Systems (IOS)

Session II: Division of Environmental Biology (DEB) and

Division of Biological Infrastructure (DBI)

Session III: Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (MCB)

MCB Group A

MCB Group B

10:15 Coffee Break

10:30 Plenary Session Bayou Jean Lafitte

Section 4, Sixth Floor

- Integrating Research into Teaching – “Best Practices”

Casonya Johnson, Morgan State University

- Effective Mentoring of Undergraduate and Graduate Students

Margaret Johnson, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa

NOON/PM

12:00 Luncheon Plenary Session Bayou Jean Lafitte

Section 4, Sixth Floor

Closing Comments

NSF Staff, BIO Grantees, and QEM Staff

1:30 Plenary Session: Use of NSF’s FastLane for Submitting Proposals/Required Reports

Evelyn Baisey-Thomas, Computer Specialist

Division of Information Systems (DIS)

Office of Information and Resource Management, NSF

3:30 Adjournment