WHILE MANY AMERICANS were dropping last-minute tax returns in the mail, FedEx envelopes bearing good news headed for more than 200 research universities. Those packets included HHMI’s invitation to compete for $86.4 million in grants to strengthen undergraduate science education in the United States.

The Institute is encouraging teamwork, collaboration, mentoring, and dissemination as it searches for innovative undergraduate science education proposals. HHMI also is seeking programs that broaden access to science for women, underrepresented minorities, and nonscience majors.

Each university selected will receive a 4-year grant ranging from $1.2 million to $2.2 million. Universities may propose programs that provide undergraduate research opportunities and broaden access to science for majors and nonmajors. The grants may also support new courses in emerging fields such as computational biology, genomics, and bioimaging; mentoring programs; current and future faculty development; laboratory equipment; and cooperative programs with elementary and secondary schools.