Engaging Underrepresented Populations in Biodiversity Sciences: A Series of Workshops for Undergraduate Students

让代表性不足的人群参与生物多样性科学：本科生系列研讨会

• 批准号: 1746715
• 负责人: Anna Monfils
• 金额: $ 10万
• 依托单位: Central Michigan University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2017-08-01 至 2023-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1746715&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Engaging; Underrepresented; Populations; Biodiversity; Sciences

The goal of this project is to engage undergraduates, especially those from underrepresented groups, in a discussion on opportunities in biodiversity sciences thru a series of workshops, mentoring, and shadowing activities. Emerging global issues, such as climate change, loss of biological diversity, land and water resource conservation, and sustainable agriculture, require more reliance on a workforce with training and expertise in biodiversity science. Four workshops will be conducted over a 4-year period to increase the number and diversity of undergraduate students interested in pursuing careers in biodiversity science (including collections science and organismal, evolutionary, ecological, and environmental biology). Student recruitment will target students from local community colleges, minority-serving institutions, and four-year colleges and universities. Professional societies will also be enlisted to recruit Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, African Americans, and Latino American students to participate in two-day workshops hosted by natural history museums. Undergraduate students participating in the workshops will be exposed to emerging careers and research opportunities by: (1) shadowing museum professionals to get hands-on experience in collections science; (2) learning about research and career opportunities from diverse graduate students and early career professionals pursuing careers in biodiversity science; and (3) getting practical advice and individualized mentoring to navigate their undergraduate experience and optimize their potential for graduate school and careers related to biological sciences, museum studies, and biodiversity collections. Across a broad range of scientific disciplines, diversity in research scientists has provided new perspectives and ideas leading to novel solutions and increased productivity. This series of workshops will work to recruit, retain, and sustain a larger, more inclusive, and diverse, undergraduate population of students equipped to engage in creative solutions for emerging science questions. Workshop activities will introduce underrepresented populations of undergraduate students to natural history museums, biodiversity collections, and collections-based researchers as a means to inspire and educate them in opportunities and data rich resources in biodiversity science.

该项目的目标是通过一系列研讨会，指导和影子活动，让本科生，特别是那些来自代表性不足的群体，参与关于生物多样性科学机会的讨论。新出现的全球性问题，如气候变化、生物多样性的丧失、土地和水资源保护以及可持续农业，需要更多地依靠在生物多样性科学方面受过培训并具有专门知识的劳动力。四个研讨会将在4年内进行，以增加有兴趣从事生物多样性科学（包括收集科学和有机体，进化，生态和环境生物学）的本科生的数量和多样性。招生将针对当地社区学院、少数民族服务机构和四年制学院和大学的学生。专业协会还将招募美洲原住民、阿拉斯加原住民、夏威夷原住民和太平洋岛民、非裔美国人和拉丁裔美国学生参加自然历史博物馆举办的为期两天的研讨会。参加研讨会的本科生将通过以下方式接触新兴的职业和研究机会：（1）跟随博物馆专业人员，获得收藏科学的实践经验;（2）从不同的研究生和从事生物多样性科学事业的早期职业专业人员那里了解研究和职业机会;以及（3）获得实用的建议和个性化的指导，以指导他们的本科经历，并优化他们在研究生院和与生物科学，博物馆研究和生物多样性收藏相关的职业生涯中的潜力。在广泛的科学学科中，研究科学家的多样性提供了新的视角和想法，从而带来了新的解决方案和提高了生产力。这一系列研讨会将致力于招募，保留和维持更大，更具包容性和多样性的本科生群体，他们能够为新兴的科学问题提供创造性的解决方案。研讨会活动将介绍未被充分代表的本科生人口自然历史博物馆，生物多样性收藏品，并收集为基础的研究人员作为一种手段，激励和教育他们在生物多样性科学的机会和丰富的数据资源。