DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Biosciences Librarian position is a new position at Gaiter Health Sciences Library. It was created specifically to support the information needs of the basic science research and graduate education communities at the Feinberg School of Medicine (FSM), by providing education in and support for the bioinformatics tools offered by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) at the National Library of Medicine (NLM), among others. This fellowship will assist me in supporting the library's mission of research support, specifically by providing me the means to pursue specialized instruction and training in bioinformatics tools and trends. The fellowship will consist of three components. First, an immersion experience in a lab that uses bioinformatics data will provide me with the opportunity to develop working relationships with FSM's biosciences faculty and students. Second, I already possesses a strong background in basic science research, but would benefit from formal training and education in bioinformatics. This training will consist of the acquisition and utilization of skills in evaluating and applying computerized molecular biology analysis methods through participation in Northwestern University's program in computational biology and bioinformatics (MCBB). Third, I will bring this training and experience back to the library by conducting an assessment of the bioinformatics needs of the faculty, staff and graduate students at the Feinberg School of Medicine through the use of interviews and surveys. The culmination of this training and assessment will be my emergence as an expert informationist, developing course-integrated and stand-alone classes in the use of various bioinformatics tools. The skills and education I obtain through this fellowship will be applied to assist the research and education communities of Northwestern's Feinberg School of Medicine. I will be equipped to support the Center for Genetic Medicine, the Lurie Cancer Center and a number of other centers for research and discovery in their bioinformatics needs. This contribution will help make Gaiter Health Sciences Library a more integral contributor to the training of future research scientists who, in turn, will contribute their knowledge to understanding and addressing the molecular mechanisms underlying disease and treatment.