Education & Outreach

For Undergraduate Students

Summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)

The Nebraska Summer Research Program offers undergraduate students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents the opportunity to participate in nationally funded research groups across multiple disciplines. Designed for students with an interest in pursuing graduate education, the program provides a firsthand glimpse into life as a graduate student and prepares undergraduates to take that next step. Students are selected to work closely with a specific faculty mentor associated to the Center for Root and Rhizobiome Innovation throughout the summer on either an ongoing research project or a project condensed to fit the 8 to 10 week timeframe.

More Information
CRRI Internship Program

Nebraska EPSCoR offers up to $5,000 in a 50% cost-share for businesses that hire undergraduate and graduate students for project-based paid internships in areas related to the CRRI Aims. For more information, contact Nebraska EPSCoR

1 / 4
UG Researcher with Tessa
2 / 4
REU at UNK
3 / 4
REU with Helikar
4 / 4
REU Alexa Poster

Young Nebraska Scientists

Nebraska EPSCoR conducts Young Nebraska Scientists (NYS) as part of a portfolio of programs spanning the K-16 pipeline. Funded by the National Science Foundation, YNS’ goal to encourage youth to pursue STEM paths to advance the state and their careers. YNS offers science camps for middle and high school students, and paid research experiences for high school students, plus mobile labs that travel to classrooms across the state, sharing learning related to CRRI research.

More information on the YNS website
1 / 5
Nebraska Young Scientists
2 / 5
High School CRRI Camp with van Dijk
3 / 5
High School CRRI Camp at NIC
4 / 5
Middle School Biotech Camp at York Middle School with Paul Twigg
5 / 5
High School Researcher with Tessa

For Small College Faculty

Nebraska EPSCoR has a current initiative to enhance the careers of faculty members at small colleges throughout Nebraska. Each summer, Nebraska EPSCoR will be hosting faculty members from these small colleges to collaborate on research being done with University of Nebraska-Lincoln researchers. The Center for Root and Rhizobiome Innovation (CRRI) will be developing tools and technologies for more rapid, precise and predictable crop genetic improvement that complements and transcends methods currently being used by biotechnologists and plant breeders. Through this program, small college faculty members will have an opportunity to develop collaborations with CRRI members. There is also an opportunity for the small college faculty to bring an undergraduate student to the program as well.

Contact: Nicole Busboom, Outreach Coordinator

Engaging Tribal Colleges

CRRI, in partnership with Nebraska EPSCoR, supports Nebraska’s two tribal colleges--the Nebraska Indian Community College (NICC) and Little Priest Tribal College (LPTC)--in the creation of a sustainable, culturally- and locally relevant microbiology course. The rationale for developing such a course is that American Indian students are more likely to engage in science education when science is framed within the context of community topics. As part of the broader impacts of CRRI’s funding from the National Science Foundation, this course broadens participation by Native Americans in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (“STEM”) topics.

Science Café on Wheels

CRRI is committed to sharing its research with Nebraska residents. Its education and outreach offerings include “Science Cafes on Wheels,” a mobile display that travels across Nebraska to public meeting places like local grocery store cafés as well as the annual Husker Harvest Days (attended by more than 100,000 people) and the Nebraska State Fair (attracting more than 330,000 people). With this CRRI resource, researchers and citizens can have face-to-face conversations – particularly important in engaging the public in scientific understanding, especially for CRRI advances.

Multimedia

NSF-funded Center for Root & Rhizobiome Innovation (CRRI)

Studying What Goes on Below Ground: Good versus Bad Bacteria


News and Forums

Keep up-to-date on advances in CRRI activities. Information and events related to CRRI are listed here, and at the Nebraska EPSCoR website