The Nature of Discovery Symposium

Project ARISE: Advancing Rhode Island Science Education

The Nature of Discovery Symposium brings together RI high school biology teachers who are participating in Project ARISE, their students, Brown scientists and graduate students for poster presentations and discussions focused on the research and discovery process as a way to connect inquiry to the relevance of science to everyday life. 

Collaboration between scientists and communication to the general public is an important part of the scientific process.  The Nature of Discovery Symposium gives high school students first-hand experience in this important aspect of science.

Students will have an opportunity to present their original ideas, including how they chose their experiments; how they determined what questions to pose;  why they designed their experiments a certain way and how they chose to collect and analyze data. 

Scheduled Poster Presentations

View the complete list

Guest Speaker

Students will also hear from Dr. John Donoghue, the Henry Merritt Wriston Professor at Brown University, who will discuss his work and the impact of his discoveries. From 1991 through 2006, Dr. Donoghue was chairman of the Department of Neuroscience, and since 1998 he has served as executive director of the Brain Science Program at Brown University, which has now been transformed and renamed to the Brown Institute for Brain Science. The Institute brings together more than 10 departments and 100 faculty into a unique research and education program. Dr. Donoghue has performed over 20 years of research on brain computer interfaces and his laboratory is internationally recognized as a leader in this field. His research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), as well as private foundations. Dr. Donoghue has over 50 publications, including a number in leading journals such as Nature, Science and The Journal of Neuroscience, and he has served on many external advisory panels, including those for the NIH's Neurology and Mental Health institutes and the space medicine panel of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). In addition, he is co-founder, chief scientific officer and director of Cyberkinetics, Inc., a biotech startup that is developing brain implants to restore movements to paralyzed individuals. In 2007, he was awarded the K. J. Zülch Prize by the Gertrud Reemtsma Foundation through the Max Planck Society, a leader in science and technology research. Dr. Donoghue received an A.B. from Boston University in 1971, an M.S. in Anatomy from the University of Vermont in 1976, and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Brown University in 1979.  

During a panel discussion, participants will meet current graduate students, learn about how they became interested in science and hear about their research.

Symposium Details

Who: ARISE teachers and their students

What:  Nature of Discovery Symposium

When: April 25, 2009 

Where: Andrews Dining Hall, Brown University, Providence RI

Cost:  There is no registration fee.

Schedule of Events

8:30 – 9:30 AM	Check-in and poster set-up Andrews Hall, Brown University
9:30 – 10:30 AM	Introductions and Keynote Lecture Andrews Hall Dr. John Donoghue Brown University “Turning thought into action: Helping people with paralysis move again."
10:30 – 11:15 AM	Graduate Student Panel Discussion Andrews Hall
11:15 – 12:00 noon	Student Poster Presentations – Group A Alumnae Hall
12:00 noon - 12:45 PM	Lunch (provided) Andrews Hall
12:45 – 1:30 PM	Student Poster Presentations – Group B Alumnae Hall
1:30 – 2:00 PM	Student oral presentations Andrews Hall
2:00 – 2:15 PM	Closing remarks Andrews Hall
2:15 – 2:30 PM	Presentation of Certificates and T-shirts Andrews Hall

Guidelines for Abstract Submission and Presenting at the Nature of Discovery Symposium

Project ARISE teachers and their students are invited to Brown University for the Nature of Discovery Symposium.  Students will be given the opportunity to present on research performed independently or with their classmates.  Student work should represent original ideas.  The process of inquiry should be the focus of the presentation. 

Content does not need to be related to topics covered during ARISE workshops (of course, with the exception of inquiry).  Emphasis should be placed on the process by which students chose their experiments.  How did they arrive at the questions they posed?  Why did they design their experiments in a certain way?  How did they choose to collect and analyze data? 

Abstracts

Students should submit an abstract that introduces the project they wish to present. Abstract submission deadline is April 3, 2009.

Students should complete the abstract submission form. 

The abstract should not exceed 250 words and should address the following points:

1. Topic   What is your research about?
2. Purpose  How did you arrive at the questions posed?  What questions did you hope to answer by doing your research? 
3. Hypothesis  What did you predict your research would reveal?
4. Experimental methods  How did you test your hypothesis?  Why did you design your experiments as you did? 
5. Results and Conclusions  How did you choose to collect and analyze data?  List the most important conclusions.  Was your hypothesis supported?

Posters

At the symposium, the majority of student work will be presented in the form of a poster.

Posters should be able to fit onto poster boards that are 48 inches wide x 45 inches high.

The poster should include the following information: 

1. Title
2. Authors
3. Introduction – including purpose and hypothesis
4. Materials and Methods
5. Results
6. Conclusions
7. References

Tips for poster preparation:

1. Posters should stimulate discussion, not give a long presentation. Therefore, keep text to a minimum and emphasize graphics.
2. Materials should be easily read at a distance of 4 feet.  Use a font size of at least 14 point and double space.
3. Place related materials (photo with accompanying text) close together.

T-shirt Design Submission

Students of ARISE teachers are invited to submit a design for Project ARISE T-shirts. T-shirts with the winning design will be provided to all Nature of Discovery Symposium participants. Please adhere to the following guidelines when submitting your entry:

1. The design should include the name and year of the program (ARISE and 2009).
2. Artists should include their signature at the bottom of the design.
3. Designs should incorporate a concept from the ARISE program - for example, a topic covered, or an experiment performed using the lab equipment. 

The T-shirt Design Submission form should be completed and included with your design entry. 

 

Oral presentations

Two students will be chosen to present their work in a 10 minute oral presentation.  If you would recommend a student for an oral presentation, please indicate on the submitted abstract. 

 

Photo Authorization and Release Form

The Photo Authorization and Release Form must be completed by all who attend the symposium. Forms from students under the age of 18 require a signature from parent or legal guardian. Students should submit signed forms to teachers accompanying them to the symposium. All other signed forms should be brought to the symposium on April 25.
Download the form

Directions and Parking

Andrews Hall is located north of Meeting Street between Brown and Thayer Streets on the Pembroke Campus of Brown University (map).  To access Andrews Hall from Meeting Street, walk to the far end of Pembroke Quad.  To access Andrews from Brown Street, walk down Cushing Street (dead end) into the Pembroke Campus and Andrews Hall is on the left. On Saturdays, parking is available on many streets around campus.