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A Charge to the Committee The project will examine the formal undergraduate education, train- ing, and experience required to prepare the next generation of life scien- tists. An important goal of the project is to identify fundamental skills in mathematics, chemistry, physics, computer science, and engineering that could be integrated into an undergraduate major in the life sciences to assist future scientists in making novel interdisciplinary connections. The report will emphasize preparing students for biomedical research, but will also evaluate preparation for other life science disciplines such as plant biol- ogy, population and evolutionary biology, and behavior and cognitive sci- ences. Case studies will be generated to provide suggestions for imple- menting reforms at both universities and four-year colleges. Specific subjects to be addressed in the study will include: 1. How will biology research be conducted in the future? 2. What fundamental skills and knowledge are needed by undergradu- ates to prepare them to excel as biological research scientists? 3. How are those skills and knowledge best conveyed? What are rea- sonable objectives for undergraduate education? 4. What elements of mathematics, chemistry, physics, computer sci- ence, and engineering will assist students in making novel interdisciplinary connections? 5. To what extent can these skills and knowledge be taught in the context of central issues in biology? 123
124 BIO2010 6. Should these skills and concepts be acquired through a restructuring of biology courses or through a broadening of the content and structure of courses in mathematics, chemistry, and physics? 7. To the extent that portions of the desired curriculum are better treated in academic departments outside the life sciences, what are the best practices for collaborating with faculty in those departments to achieve mutually agreeable goals? 8. What institutional barriers to collaboration exist and how have they been addressed in successful cases of curricular change? What incentives exist or might be created to overcome barriers to change? 9. What innovative programs for teaching life science majors have been developed, and what can be learned from those programs?
