GEO REU PI Workshop 2016: Sharing Strategies

地球科学理事会每年支持600多名学生参加全国约60个机构的本科生研究经验（REU）现场项目。这些课程的录取竞争非常激烈，大多数课程的选择性为6%或更低。这些站点为可能成为未来地球科学劳动力的学生提供研究经验，因此，管理这些站点的科学家必须了解当前在学生招聘、职业培训、道德培训和其他专业发展实践方面的最佳实践。该奖项将为2016年9月在大学大气研究公司举办的研讨会提供支持，以便NSF GEO REU站点管理人员能够促进有效管理策略的共享。在为期1.5天的研讨会期间，大约55名GEO REU项目的代表将会面，继续发展REU之间的社区联系，为新的REU站点主任提供培训，并允许在诸如为社区大学生调整REU，支持来自所有背景的学生以及评估REU类型项目在地球科学中的综合影响等问题上取得进展。目标是通过改善REU参与者的体验和扩大获得这些机会的学生人数，改善REU站点如何通过研究经验吸引学生参与科学研究。通过合作，pi将有助于对这种教育方法的共同理解和研究基础。研讨会对于实现这些目标至关重要，因为它允许居住在不同地理位置的pi在几天内集中工作。研讨会将汇集来自地球科学理事会的REU管理人员，以支持在运行包容性和有效计划方面分享战略。该研讨会建立在2011年和2014年nsf资助的GEO REU pi研讨会的基础上，pi之间的面对面互动有助于在这几年中进一步分享见解和工具。特别地，pi了解了如何从地球科学领域代表性不足的人群中招收学生，包括残疾学生、退伍军人、第一代学生和非传统学生以及社区大学和少数族裔服务机构的学生。2016年的研讨会将重复对新pi的培训，并将进一步讨论如何在学生参加REU后为他们提供适当的支持和网络，以确保他们留在地球科学领域。

The Directorate of Geosciences supports over six hundred students each year to participate in Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site programs at about sixty institutions across the country. Competition to be accepted to these programs is fierce, with most programs having a selectivity of 6% or less. These sites provide research experiences for students who are likely to become the future geoscience workforce, and therefore, it is important that the scientists who manage them are aware of current best practices in student recruitment, career training, ethics training and other professional development practices. This award provides support for a workshop to be held at the University Corporation For Atmospheric Research in September, 2016 so that NSF GEO REU site managers can facilitate the sharing of effective management strategies. During the 1.5 days of the workshop, about 55 representatives of GEO REU programs will meet to continue the development of community connections between REUs, offer training for new REU site directors, and allow for advances on issues such as adapting REUs for community college students, supporting students from all backgrounds, and assessing the combined impact of REU-type programs in the Geosciences. The goal is to improve how REU Sites engage students in science through research experiences, both by improving the experience for REU participants and by broadening the student population that is accessing these opportunities. Collaboratively, the PIs will contribute to the common understanding and research base of this educational approach. The workshop is critical in achieving these goals because it allows PIs who live in geographically disparate locations to work together intensively over a couple of days.The workshop will bring together the REU managers from across the Geosciences Directorate to support the sharing of strategies in running inclusive and effective programs. The workshop builds on prior NSF-funded workshops for GEO REU PIs in 2011 and 2014, and the face-to-face interactions between PIs has helped to facilitate further sharing of insights and tools in the intervening years. In particular, PIs learned about ways to recruit students from populations that are underrepresented in the geosciences, including students with disabilities, Veterans, first-generation and non-traditional students and those from community colleges and minority-serving institutions. The 2016 workshop will repeat this training for new PIs and will further the discussion to include ways to connect students with appropriate support and networks after their participation in an REU to ensure they are retained in the geosciences.