Track 1 Pilot Project: Pathway to Success - Research and Internship Opportunities for Students

北卡罗来纳中央大学(NCCU)地理空间研究、创新教学和服务中心(GRITS)正在与学术界和企业界正式建立合作伙伴关系，目标是加强NCCU地理空间本科生和研究生的能力，并增加NCCU学生的研究和实践培训机会。该奖项将设立两个暑期研究生研究实习机会，一个在佐治亚大学遥感和测绘科学中心，另一个在孟菲斯大学地震研究和信息中心。此外，GRITS中心还将为NCCU本科生在达勒姆市雨水分部、美国农业部林业局和北卡罗来纳州保护基金的地区办事处提供三个暑期实习机会。该项目旨在通过加强历史上黑人学院/大学的教学方案的竞争力，解决非裔美国人获得博士学位的学术领域存在的主要差距(2005年，在地球科学方面，379个博士学位中只有两个由非裔美国人获得)。该项目直接影响了8名学生，但也为NCCU未来更多的地球科学专业学生开辟了研究途径和职业机会。

The Geospatial Research, Innovative Teaching and Service (GRITS) Center at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) is formalizing partnerships with academia and businesses, with the goal of strengthening the capabilities of the geospatial undergraduate and graduate programs at NCCU and increasing research and practical training opportunities for NCCU students. The award will establish two summer graduate research internships, one at the Center for Remote Sensing and Mapping Science at the University of Georgia and one at the Center for Earthquake Research and Information at the University of Memphis. In addition, the GRITS Center will also create three summer internships for NCCU undergraduate students at the City of Durham Stormwater Division, and regional offices of the USDA Forest Service and the North Carolina Conservation Fund. This project seeks to address the major disparity that exists in terms of academic fields in which African Americans earn doctorate degrees (in Earth sciences in 2005 only two out of 379 Ph.D. degrees were obtained by African Americans) by strengthening the competitiveness of the instructional programs at Historically Black Colleges/Universities. This project directly impacts 8 students, but opens research avenues and professional opportunities for many more future geoscience majors at NCCU.