URM: Enhancing Minority Undergraduate Student Research Experiences in Ecology and Environmental Science

田纳西州立大学（TSU）获得了一项奖励，以建立一个本科生研究和指导（URM）项目，以显著增加少数族裔学生的数量，这些学生为生态学和环境科学的研究生学习做好准备，并受到激励。在资助的前三年，每年将招收六名学生，NSF资金将用于支持每位本科生参与者共两年。在为期4年的资助期内，共有18名学生将参加该项目。托国立大学URM项目包括对本科生进行全年密集的研究培训和指导。来自托国立三个系的至少六名教师将担任导师，并与学生进行广泛的生态和环境学科的研究，包括全球变化生态学，微生物生态学，环境生物学，水质，生物/植物修复和生态建模。学生将与教师导师配对，他们将在实验室研究的各个阶段为他们提供指导。此外，参与者还将通过包括GRE准备和口头和书面沟通技巧提高在内的活动为研究生院做准备。学生还将被鼓励在研究密集型大学之一（如NSF REU站点）度过一个夏天，以提高他们的研究经验。学生们还需要在科学会议上展示他们的研究成果。欲了解更多信息，请联系美国国家科学基金会URM项目主任许大峰博士，邮箱：dhui@tnstate.edu，或访问http://www.tnstate.edu/NSF-URM。

An award has been made to Tennessee State University (TSU) to establish an Undergraduate Research and Mentoring (URM) program in order to significantly increase the number of under-represented minority students who are prepared for, and motivated to, pursue graduate studies in Ecology and Environmental Science. A cohort consisting of six students will be recruited each year in the first three years of the grant, and NSF funds will be used to support each undergraduate participant for a total of two years. Over the 4-year period of the grant, a total of eighteen students will participate in the program. The TSU URM program involves an intensive year-round research training and mentoring for undergraduates. At least six faculty members from three departments at TSU will serve as mentors and engage the students in research in a wide-range of ecological and environmental disciplines, including global change ecology, microbial ecology, environmental biology, water quality, bio/phytoremediation, and ecological modeling. Students will be paired with faculty mentors, who will provide them guidance at all stages of their laboratory research. In addition, the participants will be prepared for graduate school through activities that include GRE preparation and enhancement of communication skills, both oral and written. Students will also be encouraged to spend a summer at one of the research-intensive universities (such as NSF REU sites), to enhance their experience in research. Students are also expected to present their work at a scientific meeting. Additional information is available by contacting Dr. Dafeng Hui, the NSF URM Program Director, at dhui@tnstate.edu, or by visiting http://www.tnstate.edu/NSF-URM.