IGERT: Biological and Computational Foundations of Language Diversity

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Human language is both universal within the species and highly variable across populations. This Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) project will train young scientists and engineers to understand language diversity by combining the tools of behavioral, computational and biological research, drawing upon an extensive collaborative network that spans nine departments in five colleges at the University of Maryland. The project aims to promote sustainable change in the science of language by building infrastructure for interdisciplinary research on diverse languages through local and international collaborations and outreach efforts, by strengthening links between basic science and clinical and engineering applications, and by building awareness of the science of language through high school and undergraduate partnerships. The training plan provides coursework, research training, and an environment geared towards preparing students for interdisciplinary research and equipping them to build collaborative networks in their future careers. Preparation for interdisciplinary research will be provided by broad coursework, integrative pro-seminars and a post-candidacy lab rotation that will pair trainees with students from other disciplines. A central component of the project is the Winter Storm, an intensive two-week workshop that will provide foundational skills training, research planning, and professional development. The project will enhance the use of computational and neuroscientific techniques in studies of atypical language and second language learning, and will partner with an NSF-supported Science of Learning Center based at Gallaudet University that focuses on visual language. IGERT is an NSF-wide program intended to meet the challenges of educating U.S. Ph.D. scientists and engineers with the interdisciplinary background, deep knowledge in a chosen discipline, and the technical, professional, and personal skills needed for the career demands of the future. The program is intended to catalyze a cultural change in graduate education by establishing innovative new models for graduate education and training in a fertile environment for collaborative research that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries.