Summer Institute for Research Design in Cultural Anthropology

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As anthropological research is inherently interdisciplinary and incorporates a wide variety of research methods, effective preparation for STEM professional work requires that students obtain an understanding of the concepts of research design, data management in both qualitative and quantitative contexts, and strategies of hypothesis testing. This program, which supplements the training students receive in their home departments, has trained over 204 students from 58 different institutions to date. This training increases the competence of students to do significant dissertation research projects and to become more proficient professional scientists.The Summer Institute for Research Design in Cultural Anthropology brings together area experts and graduate students for intensive study of issues in research design. The program provides students with a basic understanding of the link between theory and scientific methodology in cultural anthropology that has a strong STEM component, enhances their ability to produce a well-conceived and written research proposal, and provides students with basic scientific research knowledge and skills for solving a variety of research design problems. This institute will advance science and STEM education and training in cultural anthropology both now and well into the future by providing students with a solid foundation in scientific research design and methods. Additionally, these students will promote the scientific approach in cultural anthropology to future generations as they themselves become the teachers. The primary objectives of the institute are: 1.) To provide Ph.D. students in cultural anthropology with a STEM experience that will improve their basic understanding of scientific research design in cultural anthropology. 2.) To improve a student's ability to design anthropological research that involve STEM informed methods of data collection and analysis. 3.) To provide students with basic scientific research knowledge and skills for solving a variety of research design problems in the future. 4.) To promote and to expand the application of scientific research design in cultural anthropology through the process of diffusion (i.e., the students eventually becoming teachers themselves). Providing future professors with training in scientific research design will help ensure the viability and sustainability of scientific approaches and STEM learning in cultural anthropology.