The Biology Scholars Program Research Residency

A major challenge for faculty interested in biology education reform is determining how teaching methods improve student learning. Experimental design at the bench is familiar to most science faculty. However, these same faculty may be uncertain about designing an experiment to measure student learning. In response to this challenge, life sciences professional societies have established the Biology Scholars Program (BSP) to enhance biologists’ understanding and practice of evidenced‐based teaching and learning. The Program is a multiyear leadership program for life science faculty, which utilizes the virtual residency model, combining intensive, face‐to‐face, multi‐day training institutes with on‐going learning communities using electronic communication. During the program Biology Scholars are introduced to evidence‐based research in biology education, learn skills needed to create and design experiments to assess student learning, and participate in faculty community building activities. Program information will be presented at EB 2010 and applications for the 2011–2012 BSP are available at www.biologyscholars.org . FASEB member affiliates of the program include the American Physiological Society and the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. The Program is managed by the American Society for Microbiology and is supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation.