# Phages Helping Acquire Genuine Experiences in Science (PHAGES)

> **NIH NIH R25** · MONTANA TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $244,801

## Abstract

The proposed project requests $1.35 million over five years to build sustainability for the
successful “Phagedigging” program at Montana Tech. We aim to 1) equip teachers with the
knowledge, skills, and dispositions to provide high-quality bacteriophage-based
research opportunities for students; 2) establish a sustainable pipeline for
students into the sciences; and 3) create self-sustaining satellite labs to ensure that
students in underserved areas have access to local research opportunities. Select
teacher leaders who have been involved with phage discovery in their classrooms for 4 or more
years will serve as peer mentors to expand the project to their colleagues' classrooms.
 1) A diverse population of K-12 students, teachers, and undergraduate students will
participate in research efforts to discover and characterize bacteriophages. The proposed project
will integrate K-12 outreach programs to broaden the cadre of participating teachers and
provide thousands of K-12 students with genuine research experiences and rigorously measure
the effects of the program. We hypothesize that this customized delivery and personalized
mentoring will enhance retention of newly participating teachers, increase the diversity of
participating students, and expand the geographical reach of the program.
 2) In a forefront collaboration between SEPA and INBRE programs, we are currently
piloting a program to widen the pipeline of precollege undergraduate researchers. Students who
participated in phage discovery receive support for summer and academic year research. This
pipeline will expand during the PHAGES project. After completing high school research
projects, these new college students will transition to Montana INBRE-supported projects at any
of eight Montana INBRE participating institutions, deepening their research experiences, and
increasing the pipeline of Montana students into biomedical research.
 3) With support from PHAGES, each teacher will develop the knowledge, skills, and
infrastructure to provide classroom phage discovery in formats most appropriate for his or her
school district, including the establishment of satellite labs for independent preparation of
materials and delivery of the program. The project results and materials developed will be
widely disseminated through publications, internet, and presentations at local, regional, and
national science, and science education conferences. As there is >100 universities and college
faculty participating in phage discovery in college classrooms, this program may provide a
model to expand the reach of the HHMI SEA-PHAGES program to K-12 teachers and students.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10000204
- **Project number:** 5R25GM132951-02
- **Recipient organization:** MONTANA TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** MARISA L PEDULLA
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $244,801
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-08-21 → 2024-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10000204

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10000204, Phages Helping Acquire Genuine Experiences in Science (PHAGES) (5R25GM132951-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10000204. Licensed CC0.

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