Biology and Environmental Science Training (BEST) Program

生物与环境科学培训（BEST）计划

• 批准号: 1741950
• 负责人: Rhine Singleton
• 金额: $ 64.99万
• 依托单位: FRANKLIN PIERCE UNIVERSITY
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2018-04-01 至 2024-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1741950&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Biology; Environmental; Science; Training; BEST

With five years of funding from the NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) program, Franklin Pierce University (FPU) will create the Biology and Environmental Science Training (BEST) Program. The BEST program will provide scholarships to 14 low-income, high-achieving students pursuing baccalaureate degrees in biology and environmental science. The program aims to increase academic success, retention, graduation, and job or graduate school placement of these students, thus contributing to regional and national need for STEM graduates and employees. BEST scholars will participate in program activities focused on using more than 1,000 acres of undeveloped land on FPU as a living laboratory, where they will conduct research on the natural community, environmental health, and conservation. The expectation is that these activities will help students graduate and transition into meaningful careers in biology and environmental science. BEST scholars will be part of a learning community that shares academic interests, sections of courses, and shared residence. Scholars will be matched to faculty mentors, have peer and professional tutoring, and job shadowing opportunities. The program will share the materials and resources it develops, as well as its research results, within the university and nationally. These materials and results will inform FPU's biology and environmental science curriculum. In addition, they have the potential to deepen understanding about the role of enhanced curricular and co-curricular opportunities for student success.The BEST Program will build upon existing and ongoing successful activities, as well as introduce new ones, to achieve its goals of recruitment, retention, and career preparation of students with financial need. BEST Program objectives include 1) increasing the number of high achieving students in Franklin Pierce's biology and environmental science major by 14 total students, using targeted recruitment practices; 2) increasing academic success of S-STEM students, using evidence-based curricular improvements; 3) improving first year retention and four-year graduation rates of S-STEM scholars to 86%, by enhancing co-curricular support and services; and 4) contributing to the knowledge base of effective practices for enhancing success of students with demonstrated financial need, by research on the impact of undergraduate learning communities that use time spent outdoors as a community building theme.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

富兰克林皮尔斯大学（FPU）将在美国国家科学基金会科学、技术、工程和数学奖学金（S-STEM）项目的五年资助下，创建生物和环境科学培训（BEST）项目。BEST计划将为14名攻读生物学和环境科学学士学位的低收入、成绩优异的学生提供奖学金。该计划旨在提高这些学生的学业成就、保留率、毕业率以及就业或研究生院的安置，从而为地区和国家对STEM毕业生和员工的需求做出贡献。BEST的学者将参与项目活动，重点是利用FPU上超过1000英亩的未开发土地作为生活实验室，在那里他们将进行自然群落、环境健康和保护方面的研究。期望这些活动将帮助学生毕业并过渡到生物学和环境科学领域有意义的职业。BEST学者将成为学习社区的一部分，共享学术兴趣，课程部分和共享住所。学者将与教师导师配对，获得同行和专业辅导，以及工作见习机会。该计划将在大学和全国范围内共享其开发的材料和资源以及研究成果。这些材料和结果将为FPU的生物和环境科学课程提供信息。此外，他们有可能加深对强化课程和课外机会对学生成功的作用的理解。BEST计划将以现有和正在进行的成功活动为基础，并引入新的活动，以实现其招聘，保留和有经济需要的学生的职业准备的目标。BEST项目的目标包括：1)通过有针对性的招生实践，将富兰克林皮尔斯学院生物和环境科学专业的优等生人数增加14人；2)通过基于证据的课程改进，提高S-STEM学生的学业成就；3)通过加强课外支持和服务，将S-STEM学者的第一年留校率和四年毕业率提高到86%；4)通过研究以户外时间为社区建设主题的本科学习社区的影响，为提高有经济需求的学生的成功提供有效实践的知识库。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。