U.S.-South Africa International Undergraduate Research Opportunities: Ecological Research in Kruger National Park, South Africa

该奖项支持热带研究组织(OTS)在南非克鲁格国家公园为本科生开展一项国际研究体验计划的试点项目。该项目将作为目前OTS/杜克大学南非海外学期项目的延伸，作为吸引本科生获得国际研究经验的一种创新和有效的方式。该项目每两年将允许六名通过OTS学期项目在生态理论、研究方法和当地生态系统知识方面获得相当专业知识的美国学生留在克鲁格国家公园进行更深入的生态研究。来自南非国家公园和南非大学的OTS科学工作人员和合作者将指导独立研究项目，这些项目也将与公园的保护管理优先事项联系起来。这一试点项目将使OTS能够评估深入的本科生研究机会在留学经历之外对留住和提升理科本科生进入研究生院的影响。这一试点计划旨在引导本科生在生物学领域进行独立的领域研究。虽然学生已经在OTS海外学期项目中进行了一些短期研究项目作为课堂作业，但这种为期六周的研究经验要求学生参与高级假设的开发、研究设计、实施、分析和传播。在项目结束时，学生们将写下他们的发现，并将其提交给克鲁格国家公园的科学家和管理人员。

This award supports the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS) to conduct a pilot project for an international research experience program for undergraduates in Kruger National Park, South Africa. This program will be constructed as an extension to the current OTS/Duke University South Africa Semester Abroad Program as an innovative and efficient way of attracting undergraduate students to international research experiences. In each of two years the project will allow six U.S. students who have gained considerable expertise in ecological theory, research methodology, and knowledge of local ecosystems through the OTS semester program to stay on at Kruger National Park to conduct more in-depth ecological research. OTS scientific staff and collaborators from South African National Parks and South African universities will mentor the independent research projects, which will also be linked to conservation management priorities of the park. This pilot project will allow OTS to evaluate the impact that an in-depth undergraduate research opportunity has, beyond the study-abroad experience, on retaining and advancing undergraduates in the sciences and into graduate school. This pilot program is designed to guide undergraduate students toward independent field-oriented research in biology. While students will have already conducted some short-term research projects as classwork in the OTS semester abroad program, this six-week research experience requires students to engage in advanced hypothesis development, research design, implementation, analysis, and dissemination. At the end of the project, students will write up their findings and also present them to Kruger National Park scientists and managers.