Ed Smith knows the power of having footsteps to follow. Six of his older brothers earned PhDs, he says, and observing their experiences helped him set his course. “It was important to me to learn from them,” he says. “If you have a good role model, you’ll be able to follow their paths, and you don’t make the same mistakes.” 

As a professor, Smith has dedicated tremendous effort to providing that kind of support to undergraduate and graduate students in genetics and biomedical programs, particularly those from historically excluded and underrepresented groups. For his work, Smith is the recipient of the 2021 Genetics Society of America Elizabeth W. Jones Award for Excellence in Education, in recognition of his highly successful mentoring programs at Virginia Tech.

Growing up in Sierra Leone, West Africa, Smith recalls getting up at 5 a.m. to work on the farm with his father. From a young age, he associated early rising with physical labor, and expected that earning a graduate degree meant the end of pre-dawn wake-ups. But even now, he starts his day early, relishing the brief peace to get some uninterrupted work time before the daily bustle begins.

“I always thought education took that away, that if you get a PhD there’s no need to get up at 5 o’clock to work,” he says with a laugh. “My postdoc mentor, Susan Lamont, taught me that just like those farmers, you have to get up early if you want to do a lot.”

For his first faculty position, Smith went to Tuskegee University, where he was instrumental in bringing a comparative animal genomics program to the university. “I had never heard of HBCUs,” he says. “I really liked it. Since I didn’t go back to Sierra Leone, this was an opportunity to join an institution that represents my background.”

While at Tuskegee, Smith worked with colleagues at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Auburn University, Research Genetics (now Hudson Alpha Institute) and Alabama A&M to organize a biotechnology and genomics summer learning program for K-12 students and teachers. He spent 8 years at Tuskegee before moving to Virginia Tech in 2000, where he would have the opportunity to train PhD students and advance his research program in poultry genetics and genomics in the Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences. 

At Virginia Tech, Smith played key roles in sequencing the turkey genome and initiated two NIH-funded training programs: the Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD) and the Post-Baccalaureate Research and Education Program (PREP). The two programs have provided research and training opportunities to dozens of students from underrepresented groups who are pursuing careers in science.

“I was in the first cohort of IMSD students that were brought into Virginia Tech,” says Anjolii Diaz, now an Associate Professor of psychological science at Ball State University. “It was one of the best things that has ever happened to me.”

The programs give students the chance to conduct research and present their results at meetings, but perhaps more importantly, they form a supportive community for students who may be the first in their families to pursue STEM careers. “Our emphasis has always been, if you come, we are a family,” Smith says. “We do a lot of eating together, and we have a lot of interaction so you don’t fall off.” He recalls how his own graduate school advisor, Tom Savage at Oregon State University, used to invite students to come for Thanksgiving dinner. That experience of sharing food created a strong sense of belonging, and Smith says it has shaped his own mentoring philosophy.

“Dr. Smith was always more than just an advisor, he really was a mentor, because he would advocate for each and every one of us,” recalls Diaz. “He was someone that we would always be able to turn to if we were experiencing barriers that we didn’t know how to maneuver.”

IMSD includes both undergraduate and graduate students at Virginia Tech. 85 percent of the program’s grad students completed their doctorate degrees, and 70 percent of the undergraduates went on to PhD programs at schools such as Brown, Yale, and Stanford.

Similarly, PREP recruits students who may not have had research opportunities at their undergraduate institution and prepares them to apply to competitive graduate programs in biological sciences. 88% of PREP participants have been accepted into PhD programs.

After going through the programs, the students go on to form a network of colleagues and friends across institutions. Having a connection with other scientists from historically excluded groups can feel like a breath of fresh air, says Margaret Werner-Washburne, Regents’ Professor Emerita of Biology at the University of New Mexico, who nominated Smith for the award. She recalls the first time she met Smith, as members of an NHGRI study section. 

“It’s lonely,” she says. “I’d go to these big meetings, and usually I’m the only Hispanic and the only minority.” Meeting Smith, she says, was like running across a long-lost sibling. The two have kept in touch over the years, and she’s been pleased to see the fruits of Smith’s mentoring programs.

“I had a student who was capable, but his self-esteem was not great,” says Werner-Washburne. “I got him to apply to Ed’s program, and it was miraculous to see the turnaround.” 

Part of the programs’ impact comes from the amount of personal effort Smith puts in for each student, says Werner-Washburne. 

“A lot of what we have done in terms of minority student development has been to help students see that the magic is inside them,” she says. “Ed Smith is single-handedly transforming science by opening the door to so many students who now feel they are a part of the scientific enterprise, that they belong.”

Smith will accept the award and present an Award Seminar online on Wednesday, May 5, at 1-2 p.m. EDT on “Culturally Aware Research Education: Pay Attention to the Differences”. Register at the button below.

Register for Award Seminar

The Elizabeth W. Jones Award for Excellence in Education recognizes individuals or groups who have had significant, sustained impact on genetics education at any level, from K-12 through graduate school and beyond. The award was named posthumously for Elizabeth W. Jones (1939-2008), who was the recipient of the first GSA Excellence in Education Award in 2007. She was a renowned geneticist and educator who served as GSA president (1987) and as Editor in Chief of GENETICS for nearly 12 years. 

What is #GradTax about?

The US research enterprise is under threat by proposed tax changes that would make it difficult for all but the wealthiest students to undertake graduate training. Restricting access to advanced training would damage the nation’s ability to grow, innovate, discover new medicines, bring new technologies to market, and adapt to a changing world. On November 16th, the US House of Representatives passed H.R.1, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which contains language to repeal a number of tax provisions for education. This repeal is not included the Senate’s version of the bill—now under consideration. Scientists and many others are fighting to ensure these important provisions are preserved in the final version of the legislation, slated to be passed by the end of the year.

Why should I care?

If you’ve ever benefitted from science, technology, or higher education, then you should care about this issue. Think about antibiotics—or the GPS in your cellphone—or the education provided by your local university. They all depend on graduate-level training and a skilled workforce. If the only people able to undertake research training were the independently wealthy, our knowledge—and prosperity—would dwindle. If you have any doubt, meet some of the students who would be excluded from research and learn about some of the important work that would halt in the face of these proposals.

What effect would the proposals have?

H.R.1 would remove student loan interest deductions, the Hope Scholarship Credit, the Lifetime Learning Credit, educational assistance programs, and a provision that ensures tuition waivers do not count as taxable income for graduate students.

Losing this last provision alone would add a significant tax burden to graduate students, drastically reducing their net income and likely making graduate education unaffordable for many. PhD-level students in the US are generally supported by stipends, and their university tuition is waived in return for teaching and research. Graduate students do not directly receive any portion of this tuition waiver.

What will students pay in real-world dollars?

It depends on the institution, but most students will likely see their taxes nearly doubled. Those at high-tuition schools will owe closer to four times their usual tax bill.

Graduate students in our field typically receive annual stipends of between $20,000–$35,000. Tuition varies greatly among institutions, with some state schools clocking in around $12,000 per year and some private institutions reaching $40,000 per year—and beyond.

For example, a single student receiving a $24,000 stipend from an institution with $10,000 in tuition would currently owe roughly $1,600 in taxes for 2017. Under H.R.1, this would increase to $2,600. A student at a different institution receiving a $34,000 stipend and a $50,000 tuition waiver would see a staggering increase—from $3,100 under the current law to a whopping $12,100 under H.R.1.

What can I do to help?

GSA joined other scientific societies in opposing this aspect of the bill before it was passed by the House. For tax reform to become law, the House and Senate bills must be identical, so some measure of reconciliation will have to occur between the two versions. Now, as the Senate considers its own version of the legislation, both scientists and the public need to make their voices heard.

Let your Senators know that you support graduate education and the tax-free status of tuition waivers.

Find your Members of Congress.

Additional Resources:

• Learn more about the impacts in this article from Wired. 
• Read what the largest association of scientists in the nation has to say.
• Read a first-hand account of the impacts in the New York Times.
• Practical advice for lobbying Congress on this issue.
• Advice on writing an op-ed.

Share your story:

To spread awareness of this issue, GSA is highlighting some of the faces of graduate research from our community. If you are concerned about these issues, share your story and your research impacts with us via this brief form. Read GSA President Lynn Cooley’s personal story connecting graduate education with the medical treatment that saved her life.

Scroll down to read the posts:

As part of the Genetics Society of America’s renewed focus on early career members, Director of Engagement and Development Sonia Hall has created an innovative Early Career Scientist Leadership Program for graduate student and postdoc GSA members. Now that the Program is in full swing, Sonia talks about how it’s going and what has surprised her about working with the early career leaders and their advisors.

What inspired you to create the Early Career Scientist Leadership and Professional Development Program?

I had a very meaningful leadership experience with the GSA when I was a Trainee Advisory Representative for the Board of Directors. The Society’s leaders invested lots of time and energy in my professional development, and I was given tremendous opportunities. But I was one of very few people able to have this chance, so I wanted to share the opportunity with more of our graduate student and postdoc members.

At the same time, I’ve been a strong advocate for giving early career scientists a voice in the larger scientific community. I wanted to find a way to create leadership opportunities for them in a time efficient program that could combine service with professional skill development. This program is the result.

What are you passionate about right now?

I want to show that graduate students and postdocs can advance the scientific enterprise both at the research bench and away from it. We have great leaders in the GSA who want to see early career scientists succeed, and I want this commitment to become more visible. I truly believe that we’re stronger together than we are apart. I want early career scientists to know that there’s an entire community around them that wants them to succeed and that values their contributions.

What do you hope the participants get out of the Leadership Program?

So many things! I want them to realize that they are competent and capable individuals with tremendous opportunities in front of them. Each committee designs projects that challenge them to refine professional skills that are important for success in all career paths. From these projects, they create products that demonstrate their strengths as professional scientists. This allows them to step into the job market with evidence of their professional skills. We also hope to foster a sense of belonging to the GSA community—so that no matter what career path they take, they continue to feel connected to the society.

What do you hope the genetics community will get out of the program?

Participants choose projects they feel will address unmet needs in our community. The Communication & Outreach Subcommittee is working to demonstrate the impact the model organism community has had on the larger scientific enterprise. They aim to tell stories that send a clear message about why funding model organism research is valuable. The Policy Subcommittee is developing resources to help early career scientists to engage in advocacy or pursue careers in policy. The Career Development Subcommittee is highlighting the diverse career pathways of people who train in our community. They want to demonstrate the versatility of PhD training and to remind professional scientists that they remain part of our community regardless of which career path they have pursued.

What do the leaders do during their time in the program?

It depends! Each participant serves on a committee, and each committee has different goals. The activities of all the groups are guided by the Steering Committee, which is a hub for gathering and disseminating information, both to the subcommittees and the GSA Board of Directors. There are four subcommittees working with the Steering Committee: Career Development, Communication and Outreach, Diversity, and Policy.

All the committees meet virtually, which gives them a lot of flexibility. They are joined by a team of advisors made up of both leaders from the GSA community and experts with experience related to the projects. Some of these advisors come from outside of the genetics community. I think this is really important because it shows how we can achieve our goals better by diversifying the expertise of the group.

I am also currently working on pairing each participant with an individual mentor. I’m trying to match them with professionals who can provide career guidance tailored to their needs and interests. This is really challenging, but I think it’s important.

How’s it been going so far?

Amazing! It’s moving at a much faster pace than I expected. It has been really exciting to see the response from the community. I certainly see the value in the products of their projects but the part I love the most is recalling all of the steps they took to make that deliverable product a reality. It’s really been exciting to see the participants grow as professionals and as a community. Many of them have developed friendships and have even found ways to meet in person at various meetings. The professional friendships are one of the things I really hoped would happen but wasn’t sure would be realistic with virtual meetings. Fortunately, we appointed some truly exceptional people that really value each other, so it has worked well.

Have there been any surprises?

Other than the speed, I was surprised how great it has been for committees to work with two different advisors with different backgrounds. I knew having advisors would be beneficial, but having two different angles has made the advice so much richer. The other thing I was surprised by was how quickly participants switched from their initial hesitation—from asking permission for everything—to suddenly taking ownership of their projects and feeling empowered.

What’s happening next?

We’re onboarding our second cohort of leaders, and several committees have projects that will be public soon. We’re also starting to work on implementing new activities at GSA conferences.

Our members come from all over the globe—nearly 60 countries—so we need more Leadership Program participants from places other than North America. I would love to learn more about the training situation in other parts of the world. I would also like more representation across different institution types and regions. I know that the challenges faced by early career scientists vary from place to place. Bringing in this diverse perspective will allow us to continue to develop innovative projects.

Guest post by Lynn S. Villafuerte.

The first post in our new Career Tips series explores a way for students to increase their competitiveness and preparation for graduate training.

If you are considering PhD training, an essential first step is to assess your fit and competitiveness for graduate school. As part of this assessment, you should identify any weaknesses in your application, such as limited research experience, low GPA, or poor GRE scores. If you are interested in pursuing graduate training but identify factors that may limit your competitiveness for acceptance, there are options to better prepare you for graduate school.

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) currently funds 34 Postbaccalaureate Research Education Programs (PREP) that aim to provide recently graduated students with additional or enhanced research experience, professional development, and academic preparation, increasing their competitiveness and preparation for graduate training. The programs are designed to provide academic and financial support to students in STEM disciplines, with an emphasis on retaining talent from underrepresented populations. There is variation at the institutional level in the program design and specific training approach but all PREP program institutions offer faculty mentoring and peer group support to make PREP students more competitive to enter highly selective PhD programs.

Applications for most PREP programs open in the winter with successful applicants being informed at the end of the spring semester. The application process is very similar to applying for graduate programs. Eligible applicants submit their application form, transcripts or proof of completion of a degree, personal statement, and letters of recommendation. The applications are reviewed to ensure that the applicant’s career and research goals are a good fit for the program and some institutions will also sponsor campus visits to interview applicants Some institutions will also sponsor campus visits to interview applicants. Typically, successful applicants join their PREP institutions during the summer or at the start of the fall semester.

Because there are 34 NIH PREP programs, you should do your research before submitting an application. Begin by looking into PREP faculty mentors available at each institution. Evaluate whether being a part of that research mentor’s lab will provide the research training you need. This can be challenging because there are many great mentors doing interesting work. It is also important to consider the institutional infrastructure, such as core facilities or opportunities for collaborative research experiences between departments. There can also be variation in the level of funding provided by PREP programs, which is often an important consideration. But in addition to these basic program factors, you should also take time to evaluate what you value—beyond your scientific training. For some, it is important to be close to family or to live in an urban or rural setting. These are really important considerations that should not be overlooked—community matters and having support systems in place are vital to the healthy success of all scholars.

For some talented young scientists an additional year in a PREP program makes a big difference in creating a more confident and mature individual with increased exposure to the laboratory and graduate school culture. The postbaccalaureate training encompasses important aspects, including technical skills for research, science communication, grant writing, and mentoring. By providing intensive training in these areas for a full year, PREP programs equip their students with the skills and knowledge they need to be successful during PhD training and beyond.

Lynn Villafuerte

About the author: Lynn S. Villafuerte is the Program Coordinator of the Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) and Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD) program at the University of Kansas. In this role, she is actively engaged in both the academic and career development of program participants, working closely with research faculty to ensure each student has a meaningful research experience to prepare them for entry into a PhD program.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has issued a Dear Colleague Letter inviting those with current research support to request supplemental funding to enhance the training experience of graduate students.

Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO)

PIs supported by NSF’s Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (MCB) may request additional support for their PhD students in ways that enhance their professional development without negatively impacting dissertation research or increasing the time to degree.

Funding is available to support two types of activities. First, funding may be requested to support student participation in experiences that extend beyond their discipline and/or broaden their career options. For example, funds may be used to support the student for a brief internship period in the private, non-profit or academic arena, or to obtain specialized skills in a cross-disciplinary setting. Second, funds may be requested to compensate trainees to attend professional development courses (not formal degree programs) that enhance skills needed to be competitive in the job market. Courses with special emphasis on training in quantitative biology and/or acquiring skills that improve broader impacts (e.g., communicating science to the public) will be considered a priority.

MCB expects to make no more than 15 awards per year of $6,000–12,000 each, and requests will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis. Please contact one of the cognizant program directors for more information as soon as possible. All requests must be received by May 20, 2016.

Other programs within the BIO Directorate are not participating at this time.

Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR)

Grantees from EHR—as well as other Directorates—may apply for supplemental funding to support doctoral student participation in “education-related training experiences that broaden their skill sets and their career options, preparing them for a variety of STEM-related careers.” Specifically, EHR will support three types of activities:

• Participation in internships, training experiences, or collaborative research with private, non-profit, government, or academic organizations that promote informal STEM learning (e.g., museums; film, broadcast media, and science journalism; digital media and gaming; citizen science; school and community programs). Opportunities can include, but are not limited to, communication and media training programs that prepare students to be effective communicators to public audiences, internships focused on informal STEM learning research and evaluation, and training in exhibit and program design and delivery.

• Participation in internships, training experiences, or research and development activities in collaboration with education researchers and/or social science learning scholars to acquire new teaching skills and competencies, to gain exposure to new STEM educational research areas, or to test novel approaches for improving the engagement of K-12 or undergraduate students in authentic, career-relevant experiences. For example, doctoral students might spend a visiting term with a discipline-based education research group to learn about its research foci and relevant methodologies.

• Development and piloting of new and innovative programs for groups of graduate students focusing on (a) specific transferable professional skills or (b) career development and preparation for a variety of STEM career pathways. For this activity, projects must include active NSF Graduate Research Fellowship awardees and Honorable Mentions from a single campus or from several institutions within a region, including minority-serving institutions. Programs should include a plan to ensure participation by Fellows and Honorable Mention recipients who are women, members of underrepresented minority groups, persons with disabilities, and veterans. (This opportunity is limited to lead investigators of Graduate Research Fellowship Program institutional awards.)

The first two opportunities noted above should benefit individual students but may be requested by PIs on any active NSF award.

Requests will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis. Please contact the cognizant program director for more information as soon as possible. All requests must be received by May 31, 2016.

Other Directorates

Information about opportunities from other NSF directorates may be found in the Dear Colleague Letter.

Additional Information:

• “Dear Colleague Letter: Improving Graduate Student Preparedness for Entering the Workforce, Opportunities for Supplemental Support” (NSF 16-067), April 15, 2016.
• “New Funding Opportunity,” MCB Blog, April 22, 2016.

The White House National Science and Technology Council’s Committee on STEM Education (CoSTEM) has developed a pair of portals to connect undergraduates and graduate students to Federally-sponsored opportunities. These resources compile programs across federal agencies, which may be searched or browsed by discipline, location, and more.

• STEMUndergrads.science.gov includes listings for undergraduate fellowships, scholarships, courses, internships, prize, and institution-based awards for undergraduate programs.

• STEMGradStudents.science.gov includes listings for graduate fellowships, scholarships, traineeships, internships, and collaborations; scientific meeting support; thesis research; prizes; and institution-based awards for graduate programs.

Among the agencies who are included in the new portals are the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Transportation, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Institutes of Health, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Science Foundation (NSF), Smithsonian Institution, U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and U.S. Geological Survey.

CoSTEM was established in 2011 to coordinate Federal programs and activities in support of STEM education. Its co-chairs are France Córdova, Director of NSF, and Jo Handelsman, Associate Director for Science at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is seeking applications for predoctoral and postdoctoral fellowships offered through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) and its Education and Literacy Initiative. The fellowships will support training and students and postdocs relevant to AFRI’s six identified challenge areas: childhood obesity prevention, climate change, food safety, food security, sustainable bioenergy, and water.

Projects should also be aligned with one of the six AFRI Foundational Areas:

• Plant health and production and plant products
• Animal health and production and animal products
• Food safety, nutrition, and health
• Bioenergy, natural resources, and environment
• Agriculture systems and technology
• Agriculture economics and rural communities

According to the request for applications, “predoctoral and postdoctoral fellowships serve as a conduit for new scientists and professionals to enter research, education, and extension fields within the food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences. The aim of these fellowships is to cultivate future leaders who are able to address and solve emerging agricultural challenges of the 21st century.”

Predoctoral fellowships

The predoctoral program seeks to support current doctoral students in their dissertation research. As such, those seeking predoctoral support must have advanced to candidacy, as per institutional requirements, by the application deadline of February 11, 2016. Documentation from the graduate advisor or institution is required.

Predoctoral applications may request up to $95,000 total for up to two years including the following elements:

• Stipend of up to $25,000 per year
• Tuition, fees, fringe benefits, supplies, travel, workshops, and publications of up to $19,500 per year
• Institutional allowance (in lieu of indirect costs) of up to $3,000 per year

Postdoctoral fellowships

To be eligible for the postdoctoral program, individuals must have satisfied all doctoral degree requirements between January 1, 2013, and November 11, 2016. Documentation from the graduate advisor/committee or the institution is required.

Postdoctoral applications may request up to $152,000 total for up to two years including the following elements:

• Salary support
• Fringe benefits, supplies, travel, workshops, and publications of up to $30,000 per year
• Institutional allowance (in lieu of indirect costs) of up to $3,000 per year

Although a proposed project may be related to the mentor’s scientific area, Postdoctoral Fellows are expected to “initiate an independent scientific program,” rather than merely an extension of ongoing projects in the mentor’s lab.

Application information

NIFA recommends that applications be submitted through the mentor’s institution so that the institution will ensure proper stewardship of federal funds, although students may also apply on their own behalf.

Those seeking support must be a citizen, national, or permanent resident of the U.S.

• Request for Applications: Food, Agriculture, Natural Resources and Human
• Sciences Education and Literacy Initiative
• Application Deadline:  February 11, 2016, 5:00 pm local time

NIH’s National Cancer Institute (NCI) has issued a request for applications (RFA) for a new program that will bridge predoctoral and postdoctoral training. Its aim “is to encourage and retain outstanding graduate students who have demonstrated potential and interest in pursuing careers as independent cancer researchers.”

Similar to NIH’s Pathway to Independence Award (which bridges postdoctoral training and an independent research position), the NCI Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Fellow Transition Award will have two phases:

• F99 phase will provide support for 1–2 years of dissertation research training to complete those last few experiments, prepare the dissertation, and select a postdoctoral mentor
• K00 phase will provide up to 4 years of mentored postdoctoral research career development support upon completing the PhD and securing a postdoc position.

Allowable expenses include stipend support, tuition and fees, and an institutional allowance to help defray fellowship expenses and career development. The K00 phase may also include indirect reimbursement to the institution at 8% of direct costs.

Institutions may only submit only one F99 application per due date, but there is no limit on the number of K00 awardees an organization may sponsor. Applicants must be currently enrolled in the third or fourth year of a mentored PhD (or similar) program at a U.S. institution. Applications may be submitted on behalf of non-U.S. citizens as long as they have the appropriate visa status.

NCI is requesting a brief letter of intent to help plan the review, but this letter is not required nor does it enter into the review itself. Specific instructions for submitting the intent letter are included in the RFA.

The review process will consider the applicant, sponsor(s)/mentors, research training program, training potential/development plan, and the institutional environment.

• Request for Applications:  RFA-CA-16-005: The NCI Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Fellow Transition Award (F99/K00)
• Letter of Intent Due Date:  January 19, 2016 (not required)
• Application Due Date:  February 19, 2016, 5:00 pm local time

If you’re doing it right, teaching undergraduates is incredibly difficult. Delving into the scholarship of teaching and learning can be absolutely overwhelming, especially if the principles of Vision & Change are new to you. Preparing excellent activities, making sure that students are engaged, redesigning a course so that it’s “flipped”- all of these things take a great deal of time and effort. But the research shows it’s well worth it.

It may be easier for instructors to develop passive lectures and slideshows, but many agencies and institutions are united in calling  for drastic changes in pedagogy that include more active learning approaches (dip into some of the literature using the PULSE V&C Toolkit). One effective strategy is to use peer-reviewed literature to introduce students to core concepts in biology (for one excellent example, check out Sally Hoskins’ C.R.E.A.T.E. method). It is possible to design an entire course around a set of four to five primary research papers, achieving your learning objectives while successfully engaging students in the process of science.

There’s a hitch: reading primary literature is difficult. Even seasoned peer-reviewers can struggle with the density and jargon. Undergraduates find reading their first research paper even more intimidating; it is a “trial by fire” not only because they have no experience with the conventions of the genre, but because they are wading into uncharted conceptual territory.

I remember teaching my Genome Science class at North Carolina State University how to read a research paper. I suggested they start with the abstract, then try to get a general idea of what the figures were showing them. The next step was to move onto the intro, re-examine the figures, and read the discussion. Once they’d made it that far, then they would look over the methods and results. Even with guidance, becoming a seasoned reader takes practice.

What if there was a way to ease new readers into a peer-reviewed paper? Those questions were raised at a GSA Education Committee meeting by the Chair at the time, Beth De Stasio (Lawrence University), and later seconded by Scott Hawley (former President of GSA, Stowers Institute) and Mark Johnston (Editor-in-Chief, GENETICS; University of Colorado School of Medicine). In 2012, GENETICS unveiled its answer in a new type of article: the Primer.

Primers in GENETICS now come in two flavors: Research Primers, and Model Organism Primers.

Research Primers accompany peer-reviewed research articles published in GENETICS, and serve as a tool to guide the reader through the paper. Research Primers provide an expanded introduction and background, highlighting why the research was conducted and how the authors decided to address their unanswered questions. Methods used in the original article are presented with helpful context, typically also accompanied by explanatory graphics (see the description of yeast two-hybrid, for example, or knockout methods). Results are described in detail: what did the researchers find? How did they analyze their results? How were the results interpreted? An expanded discussion is followed by a guide for educators, which often includes a set of questions for classroom use.

What I would have given to have such a tool in my class! I am positive that my former students echo that sentiment.

Model Organism Primers provide a thorough background of a model genetic system, covering everything from its life cycle to the available genetic and genomic tools. Currently, Primers are available for budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), fission yeast (Schizosaccharomyces pombe), nematode worms (Caenorhabditis elegans), and the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster).

Each of the Model Organism Primers was crafted by teams from their respective model organism communities. Not only are they incredibly useful, they also read as a kind of love letter to these systems. Indulge me a moment as I reflect on my personal favorite–the fly Primer. Yes, I chose to work with D. melanogaster because of its ease of use, its complex behavior, and its fully sequenced genome (a huge deal when I started grad school); but along the way, I got attached to the little critters, so reading about everything that makes flies great warmed my heart. I daydreamed for a moment that we had the fly Primer in my graduate advisor’s lab–we worked extensively with undergraduates, and if we had been able to hand them this paper, it would have made things so much easier for both them and us. And not just undergraduates! This Primer would have been a lifesaver for me when I started grad school as a fly-pushing novice.

Model Organism Primers also serve as excellent introductory tools for the classroom. For instance, imagine wanting to introduce your students to the concepts of gene function and expression, or specifically RNAi and genetic screening. Ideally, you could do this using a paper in GENETICS like “A Network of Genes Antagonistic to the LIN-35 Retinoblastoma Protein of Caenorhabditis elegans” by Polley and Fay (2012). Unless you’re leading a very advanced class, though, you’d first want to give them background on C. elegans: assign “A Transparent Window into Biology: A Primer on Caenorhabditis elegans” by Corsi, Wightman, and Chalfie (2015) as a pre-class reading, then have a discussion about the importance of model systems in your class. Next up, pair Polley and Fay’s paper with its corresponding Research Primer, “Suppressors, Screens, and Genes…” (2012) authored by Beth De Stasio. As she says in the abstract, “An article by Polley and Fay in this issue of GENETICS provides an excellent opportunity to introduce or reinforce concepts of reverse genetics and RNA interference, suppressor screens, synthetic phenotypes, and phenocopy. Necessary background, explanations of these concepts, and a sample approach to classroom use of the original article, including discussion questions, are provided.” Not only will your students learn core concepts in genetics, but they will gain a firmer grasp on a genetic model system and on how to read primary literature, both important core competencies in our field.

We hope that Primers in GENETICS will help you in a plethora of different ways, whether it be fine-tuning your teaching, or introducing a new student into your lab.

Interested in becoming a Primer author? Contact GENETICS Primer Editor Beth De Stasio for more details. Keep an eye out for more Primers coming out soon!

CITATIONS:

Duina, A. A., Miller, M. E., & Keeney, J. B. (2014). Budding yeast for budding geneticists: a primer on the Saccharomyces cerevisiae model system. Genetics, 197(1), 33-48. doi: 10.1534/genetics.114.163188

http://www.genetics.org/content/197/1/33.full

Hoffman, C. S., Wood, V., & Fantes, P. A. (2015). An Ancient Yeast for Young Geneticists: A Primer on the Schizosaccharomyces pombe Model System. Genetics, 201(2), 403-423. doi: 10.1534/genetics.115.181503

http://www.genetics.org/content/201/2/403.full

Corsi, A. K., Wightman, B., & Chalfie, M. (2015). A Transparent window into biology: A primer on Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics, 200(2), 387-407. doi: 10.1534/genetics.115.176099

http://www.genetics.org/content/200/2/387.full

Hales, K. G., Korey, C. A., Larracuente, A. M., & Roberts, D. M. (2015). Genetics on the Fly: A Primer on the Drosophila Model System. Genetics, 201(3), 815-842. doi: 10.1534/genetics.115.183392

http://www.genetics.org/content/201/3/815.abstract

Polley, S. R., & Fay, D. S. (2012). A network of genes antagonistic to the LIN-35 retinoblastoma protein of Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics, 191(4), 1367-1380. doi:10.1534/genetics.112.140152

http://www.genetics.org/content/191/4/1367.full

De Stasio, E. A. (2012). Suppressors, Screens, and Genes: An Educational Primer for Use with “A Network of Genes Antagonistic to the LIN-35 Retinoblastoma Protein of Caenorhabditis elegans”. Genetics, 191(4), 1031-1035. doi: 10.1534/genetics.112.142943

http://www.genetics.org/content/191/4/1031.full