May 14, 2025

In this Issue:

• Registration Open for the 2025 NABT Conference
• Applications Accepted for the IGELS Course Design Institute
• Call for Posters: 2025 NABT Biology Education Poster Session
• Partner Spotlight: Scholarship Available for the Biology Institute at Exeter
• Reminder: Call for Proposals for the NABT Biology Education Research Symposium
• EMBL Self-paced Course “Planetary Biology in Action: Exploring Ecosystems”

Registration Open for the 2025 NABT Conference

Summer may still be a few weeks away, but it's never too early to think about Fall and the NABT Professional Development Conference in St. Louis. 

The NABT Conference is more than sessions; it's the place where a vibrant and welcoming community of life science educators learn from and celebrate each other!

Highlights of the 2025 NABT Conference:

• Engaging Workshops and Sessions: The conference features over 100 interactive workshops and sessions led by experienced educators and researchers. These sessions cover innovative teaching strategies, curriculum development, and the latest advancements in biology education.

• Keynote Speakers: Attendees can look forward to speakers who share valuable insights about life science research, education research, and science communication.

• Networking Opportunities: With approximately 1,000 educators from various educational levels, the NABT conference facilitates meaningful connections, where colleagues become forever friends.

• Exhibit Hall: The conference's exhibit hall showcases the latest educational resources, technologies, and services from our partners.

• Special Events: In addition to the sessions, the conference includes special events such as field trips, film screenings, and receptions.

• This year, NABT will be hosting a Science Disco & Halloween Party in the famous lobby of the St. Louis Union Station Hotel. Attendees are invited to join us on Friday, October 31st, for food, drinks, costume contests, and more!!

Whether you're an experienced teacher or new to the profession, attending the NABT Conference will rejuvenate your teaching practice and connect you with a supportive community of peers.

Registration is now open, and early-bird discounted pricing is available until July 31, 2025. We are also once again offering group discounts.

For more information and to register online, visit NABT Conference 2025 or contact us at conference@nabt.org for details.

Applications Accepted for the IGELS Course Design

Institute

Science education is an opportunity to cultivate critically-minded and civically-engaged citizens, and several higher education organizations have specifically identified an urgent need for improving scientific literacy and the understanding of the social context of scientific practice.

The IGELS (Improving General Education Life Sciences) Project is working to meet this call by launching a new professional development opportunity for undergraduate educators.

The IGELS Course Design Institute will feature a four-day, summer professional development workshop where participants will engage in a curriculum design process that centers student learning, teaching best practices, and leadership development. 

The in-person component of the IGELS Institute will be held at Johnson County Community College, Overland Park (a suburb of Kansas City), from July 21st to 24th, 2025. The in-person meeting will be followed by bi-monthly support via online meetings taking place over the following calendar year.

Participants will be asked to redesign a component(s) of their course that centers science literacy and social context, with follow-up mechanisms to assess if the redesign was successful.

This opportunity is available for educators and teams based at two-year and four-year institutions. Limited funding is available to support the travel of successful applicants. Accommodations and most meals will be provided for all attendees during the July experience.

For more information and to apply, please visit

https://uaa.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6lk8l7uozKAgHtk.

Space is limited, and applicants will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Support is available for undergraduate instructors (two-year and four-year colleges and universities) is proved through the NSF-funded IGELS Project (#2126154).

Call for Posters:

2025 NABT Biology Education Poster Session

You and your students are invited to share your biology education research or mentored student research at the 2025 NABT Professional Development Conference.

The NABT Biology Education Poster Session will be held on Saturday, November 1st. This popular session highlights practices, programs, and research in three distinct categories: general strategies for teaching biology, the scholarship of teaching, and mentored student research.

Posters presented by students are eligible for two competitions, with winners announced onsite at the NABT Conference in St. Louis.

• Student Competition: Biology Education Research - Open to high school, undergraduate, and graduate students. Posters must concentrate on the presentation of new teaching strategies or programs or contribute new knowledge about biology education, and should include data and relevant analysis. Both in-progress and completed research can be presented in this category, and posters should include research and data on the efficacy of the presented technique or trial. Students must be entered as first authors.

• Student Competition: Mentored Student Research - Open to high school students and undergraduate students at 2-year or 4-year institutions. Posters should effectively present a mentored student scientific research activity in any area of biology. 

• General Category (non-competitive) - Open to all participants. Posters can present the incorporation of new teaching strategies, techniques, or programs. Past posters have even highlighted a new lesson plan or laboratory exercise. Posters that include research and data on the efficacy of presented techniques are particularly encouraged.

Submissions are due on Friday, August 1st. Learn more at the 2025 Call for Posters.

Scholarship Available for the

Biology Institute at Exeter

The Biology Institute at Exeter is a lab-based experience for high school educators to explore content and student-centered instruction in biology through the lens of equity and inclusion. This year's institute will be held June 22-27 at the Phillips Exeter Academy Campus in Exeter, New Hampshire.

During the five-day conference, participants will be introduced to the collaborative, student-centered Harkness process, engage in daily lab and discussion sessions, and take field trips in the New Hampshire coastal area surrounding Phillips Exeter Academy’s campus. Participants will engage from both the student and teacher perspective while delving into the topics of ecology and molecular biology.

Registration is now open, and limited scholarships are available for public school educators. Learn more at https://exeter.edu/biology-institute-at-exeter/

Reminder: Call for Proposals for the

NABT Biology Education Research Symposium 

NABT is now accepting proposals for the 17th Annual Biology Education Research Symposium. This is your opportunity to present your research in biology education at the 2025 NABT Professional Development Conference. The Biology Education Research Symposium will be on October 31, 2025, in St. Louis.

All papers will go through double-blind review, and the format of the symposium will be a traditional presentation of papers by individuals or co-authors lasting 15 minutes each (with five minutes for Q&A). Reviewed proposals will be published as proceedings on the NABT website, and you can review past papers at NABT Proceedings Research Symposium.

Papers are due Monday, June 30, 2025. Learn more at the 2025 Call for Papers.

Apply Today for 2025 BIOME

Applications are now open for the 2025 BIOME. Join the us from July 21 to 23, 2025, to challenge the status quo and drive meaningful transformation in STEMM education! This year’s theme of Catalysts for Change: Empowering Faculty to Move Forward Together, for educators, researchers, and innovators to come together, share experiences, and gain the support they need to navigate today’s challenges in STEMM education.

BioQUEST Curriculum Consortium is excited to welcome participants to engage in open conversations about teaching through adversity, exchanging new ideas, and working together to find creative solutions. Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of the movement shaping the future of STEMM education.

The general application deadline is May 16th, and more information can be found in the BIOME 2025 page. Apply today!

Feel free to contact Rhianna Kozinski at rkozinski@bioquest.org with questions.

EMBL Self-paced Course

“Planetary Biology in Action: Exploring Ecosystems”

This spring, EMBL’s Science Education and Public Engagement (SEPE) team, in collaboration with Merck, invites educators and enthusiasts to explore the field of planetary biology through the self-paced course "Planetary Biology in Action: Exploring Ecosystems". The course content will be available online for six weeks, from 22 April to 1 June 2025, allowing participants to join at any time and progress through the content at their own pace. Participation is free of charge, with an estimated workload of two hours per week. A certificate of completion is available for those who fulfill the course requirements. The course will be conducted in English.

Find out more at https://www.embl.org/ells/training/planetary-biology-in-action-exploring-ecosystems/

Join here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdZgRH1t0OSyR0NX-6mGJZvlRx3uT0tGEaGBmp0BJs5ygy6ag/viewform?usp=sharing