The educational role of undergraduate research experiences in biological physics at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions

Involving undergraduates in biological physics research is a transformative educational practice that develops the future STEM workforce. Students from diverse life and physical sciences backgrounds are drawn to biological physics for its relevance, allowing them to apply foundational principles to biological questions. Research at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs) often follows an apprenticeship model, with direct mentoring from faculty, given the absence of graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, or technicians. This approach yields disciplinary recognition, publications, and funding at a pace consistent with the teaching and service load. However, a crucial question arises: how can we ensure academic sustainability for students and faculty? We address four key challenges: (1) designing research experiences for students with varying backgrounds, majors, and goals, (2) enhancing faculty scholarship even during the student training period, (3) fostering a disciplinary identity for both students and faculty, and (4) creating lab continuity when the students may only work for one summer or shorter duration of times. The underserved and minoritized status of students and faculty further exacerbates these challenges. We will explore our strategies, from interdisciplinary training programs that incorporate near-peer mentoring structures to strategies for creating lab traditions and approaches to culturally competent mentoring for students experiencing conflict. Also, we will discuss pathways to connect PUIs with the larger research community to foster the growth of an inclusive biological physics workforce.