NSF Award
0127498
Biological Sciences (61)<br/>Bioinformatics is central to biology in the 21st century. The use of computer based<br/>analytical tools on electronically stored and distributed data is fundamentally changing<br/>life science research and its application to problems in medicine, agriculture,<br/>conservation, and forensics. In light of this "information revolution" undergraduate<br/>biology curricula must be redesigned to prepare the next generation of informed citizens<br/>and prepare those who will pursue careers in the life sciences. The BEDROCK initiative<br/>(Bioinformatics Education Dissemination: Reaching Out, Connecting and Knitting-<br/>together) is enhancing, expanding, and empowering a national community of bioinformatics<br/>educators. The project goals include: 1) Identify and support faculty who can take a<br/>leadership role in bioinformatics education; 2) Highlight and distribute innovative<br/>approaches to incorporating bioinformatics data and techniques throughout undergraduate<br/>biology education; and, 3) Establish mechanisms for the broad dissemination of<br/>bioinformatics resource materials and innovative teaching models. To achieve these goals<br/>we are holding a series of faculty development workshops around the country; recruiting<br/>and supporting a group of innovative faculty to implement and disseminate bioinformatics<br/>education materials; publishing resources for bioinformatics education and building a<br/>networked collaboratory environment for developing and sharing bioinformatics<br/>educational approaches. This project builds on the established pedagogical philosophy and<br/>academic community of the BioQUEST Curriculum Consortium. Specifically,<br/>BEDROCK extends our work in bioinformatics education over the last four years during<br/>which we have established a community of collaborators representing the diverse<br/>resources required to mount a national dissemination effort.
