campus partner(s)

American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

state(s)

MD

amount

$40,000

initiative

Fresh Thinking

award date

11.2010

project director

Barbara Gordon

American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Grant Summary

$40,000 over 18 months to develop an accreditation process for student majors and for biochemistry and molecular biology programs. This discipline-specific process will allow ASBMB to assess students' specialized learning in biochemistry and molecular biology, as well as to evaluate the ability of departments and programs to develop students' capacities for communication, collaboration, integrative thinking, and social and personal responsibility. It is expected that the data and findings that emerge from the certification process will be helpful to faculty in assessing the strengths and weaknesses of their programs; to prospective students who can use the data to compare biochemistry and molecular biology programs at different institutions; and to potential employers and graduate school admissions committees who will be able to evaluate students emerging from a range of programs. This project builds on the findings of ASBMB's White Paper, "Evaluation of the Biochemistry / Molecular Biology Major as Designed, by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology."