Virginia Union University Community, Culture, Research Scholarship Program

在国家科学基金会的科学，技术，工程和数学奖学金（S-STEM）计划的资助下，该项目将招募，选择和授予25个奖学金给弗吉尼亚联合大学（VUU）自然科学系（DNS）中有学术才能的低收入本科生。除了获得奖学金支持，学生将参加各种课程和课外活动，这些活动已被证明对提高学生保留率和毕业率有效。该项目的目的是生产VUU毕业生与他们可以通过STEM研究的应用，以改善他们的社区和世界的生活作出更大的贡献感。由于VUU是一所历史悠久的黑人学院或大学（HBCU），该项目的成功也可能会提高科学界的多样性水平，并加强不同社区之间的联系，并将科学作为解决社区问题的工具。该项目将采用循证实践来保留STEM，以展示STEM教育和研究如何与利益，目标，学者的价值观。这些做法包括学生参与本科研究，通过促进和管理群体经验的社会融合，以及同行辅导。一个关键的活动将涉及从事学者在VUU的研究项目，同时教研究技术，作出科学贡献，并解决社会或社区关注的是由学生的价值。帮助学生做好准备，表现出主人翁意识，并培养对STEM作为一种工具的重要性的认识，适用于他们关心的问题，将丰富他们的学术经验。此外，该项目将扩大对小型文科院校学术课程如何帮助代表性不足的低收入STEM学生成为成功毕业生的理解。特别是，领导该项目的教师团队将收集定性数据（例如学生访谈）和定量数据（例如平均成绩，完成关键课程的时间，自我效能测量，持久性测量等）。关于学者的表现。这些数据将有助于VUU的主要研究人员（PI）产生和传播有关项目活动影响的知识。从该项目中收集的数据将为在公共机构机构中将项目活动制度化和扩大项目活动的建议提供信息。此外，项目研究结果将对其他小型文科院校的优秀本科STEM学生的教育和准备产生影响。

With funding from the National Science Foundation's Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (S-STEM) program, this project will recruit, select, and award 25 scholarships to academically talented low-income undergraduate students in the Department of Natural Science (DNS) at Virginia Union University (VUU). Beyond receiving scholarship support the students will participate in a variety of curricular and co-curricular activities that have proven effective at increasing student retention and graduation rates. The project aims to produce VUU graduates with a greater sense of the contributions they can make to improve life in their communities and the world through the application of STEM research. Since VUU is a Historically Black College or University (HBCU), the success of the project will likely also increase the level of diversity in the scientific community and enhance the connection between diverse communities and the use of science as a tool to solve community issues.The project will adapt evidence-based practices for STEM retention to demonstrate how STEM education and research can align with the interests, goals, and values of the scholars. Such practices include student involvement in undergraduate research, social integration through promotion and management of cohort experiences, and peer tutoring. A key activity will involve engaging scholars at VUU in research projects that simultaneously teach research techniques, make a scientific contribution, and address a social or community concern that is valued by the student. Helping prepare students to exhibit a sense of ownership and develop an awareness of the importance of STEM as a tool, applicable to issues of their concern, will enrich their academic experience. Moreover, the project will expand upon the understanding of how academic programs at small liberal arts institutions can help underrepresented low-income STEM students become successful graduates. In particular, the faculty team leading the project will collect qualitative data (e.g. student interviews) and quantitative data (e.g. grade-point averages, time-to-completion for key courses, self-efficacy measures, persistence measures, etc.) regarding the performance of the scholars. Such data will help the principal investigators (PIs) at VUU generate and disseminate knowledge concerning the impact of project activities. The data gathered from this project will inform recommendations for institutionalization and expansion of project activities at the PIs' institution. In addition, project findings will have implications for education and preparation of talented underrepresented undergraduate STEM students at other small liberal arts institutions.