Developing Future Biologists (DFB) is a trainee-run educational outreach organization at the University of Michigan. DFB’s mission is to ensure that the next generation of biologists can learn the core concepts of developmental biology regardless of race, gender, or socioeconomic status. Every summer, DFB holds a week-long, all expenses paid course for undergraduate students from under-resourced backgrounds. In this course, these aspiring researchers learn fundamental biology laboratory techniques and important concepts in developmental biology. Students are also provided with professional development workshops with the goal of helping them get involved in research at their home institutions and in the future. This course provides invaluable experience to our students, and has the power to inspire them to pursue a career in the sciences.
With the help of your donations, we will be able to expand the size of our student roster and the support we provide our alumni. Currently, the class size for DFB is limited to 25 students. We hope that with additional funding, we can open additional seats in our program. We are also seeking to expand the support we offer for DFB alumni to present their current research at conferences, giving them the opportunity to share their science and network with other researchers in their field. Finally, we hope that increased financial support will allow us to hire more DFB alumni as Teaching Assistants for the course. Being a Teaching Assistant gives alumni the chance to engage with the course material again through a different lens, and provides peer mentors to current students who can attest to the positive impact of DFB on their trajectory.
Please reach out to us on our email contactdfb@umich.edu, or on social media via Twitter, Bluesky, or Instagram with any questions or to learn more about the program.
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