GP-EXTRA: Connecting Links to Ocean Science and Earth Science Graduate Academic Programs (CLOSES-GAP)

海洋科学和地球科学研究生学术项目合作链接(Closes-Gap)为两所历史上一直是黑人的学院和大学的本科生提供了一条途径，也是一所校园多样性最高的机构(如2015年《美国新闻和世界报道》所确定的)，以参与地球科学领域的学术桥梁项目。根据NSS2015年的统计数据，拉美裔、非裔美国人和美国印第安人或阿拉斯加原住民在所有STEM领域的代表比例都不成比例。然而，地学领域的代表性是所有调查学科中最低的。Closes-Gap是马里兰东岸大学、特拉华州立大学和罗格斯大学纽瓦克分校和一所研究型大学(新汉普郡大学)之间的全面合作伙伴关系，旨在加强机制，招收代表性不足的学生进入地球科学。综合考虑，项目元素允许接近差距的学生参与者建立对研究生项目预科和成功非常重要的技能。此外，通过该项目，参与机构将加强合作工作关系，共同参与持续的研究和学生指导活动。CLOSES-GAP是一个综合计划，由几个相互关联的组成部分组成，提供一系列支持和机会。具体地说，学生将在三年级被招募，并在接下来的夏天和整个四年级接受研究培训和指导。组织者将解决GEOPATHS计划的两个主要优先事项：1)向生物海洋学或其他相关非地球科学计划的学生提供机会，探索物理海洋学和近海地球科学方面的研究机会；2)向参与者提供基础地球科学研究和科学交流技能方面的基础技能。其目标将是为近在咫尺的研究员提供经验，使他们深入了解海洋地球科学研究选择的多样性，并提供利用UNH世界级海洋测绘设施和人员的研究机会，包括距离新罕布夏州海岸6英里的浅滩海洋实验室的住宅设施。由项目小组协助或创建的其他小型课程将指导研究员的研究技能、研究生入学和奖学金申请。学生将在大三后的暑假进入该项目，并在下一学年得到母校和北卡罗来纳大学两位导师的支持。他们的参与最终将在国家或区域科学会议上展示他们的工作。对于夏季研究营来说，同样重要的是导师的专业知识和对研究员所在机构的熟悉带来的舒适感。在参加UNH研究营之前和之后，参与者将完成基本研究技能(如统计分析)以及经常被忽视的能力(如数据管理和学术/研究道德)的在线小型课程。我们还将重点发展每个参与者队列中的“研究社区”，强调跨学科研究小组在当代地球科学和海洋科学中的重要性。在结束研究夏令营回到本国机构后，重点将转向数据分析，并通过各种媒体--从传统的专业会议和出版物到社交媒体--向各种受众传达他们的研究结果。该计划的核心是一种全面的参与者支持方法，将独特的研究机会与UNH及其所在机构的高度支持性指导结合在一起。Close-Gap项目将加强四所院校之间的联盟，并将从代表性不足的群体中招募30名本科生，参加一个专注于为研究生院以及最终在地球科学领域就业做准备的项目。在整个联盟中，这一计划还将提高地球科学教师及其各自的部门和机构的能力，为非多数受众量身定做招聘方法，并支持代表不足的学生成功申请研究生课程。除了这些直接和直接的影响外，Close-Gap团队将通过传统的学术手段(出版和会议演示)以及为未来的合作伙伴创建指导资源，将他们的发现传播给更大的地球科学界。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The Collaborative Links to Ocean Science and Earth Science Graduate Academic Programs (CLOSES-GAP) provides a pathway for undergraduate students at two Historically Black Colleges and Universities and an institution with the highest campus diversity (as identified in 2015 by U.S. News and World Report) to engage in an academic bridge program in the geosciences. According to the NSES 2015 statistics, Hispanics, African Americans, and American Indians or Alaska Natives are disproportionately represented in all STEM fields. The representation in geoscience fields, however, is the lowest of all surveyed disciplines. CLOSES-GAP is a comprehensive partnership between University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Delaware State University and Rutgers University Newark and a research university (University of New Hampshire) to enhance mechanisms to recruit under-represented students into the geosciences. Taken in concert, program elements allow CLOSES-GAP student participants to build skills important for graduate program matriculation and success. Additionally through this project the participating institutions will strengthen collaborative working relationships for engaging together in sustained research and student mentoring activities.CLOSES-GAP is a comprehensive program consisting of several interconnected components that offer a suite of supports and opportunities. Specifically, students will be recruited during their junior year and receive research training and mentoring during the following summer and throughout their senior year. The organizers will address two major priorities of the GEOPATHS program by 1) offering students in biological oceanography, or other related non-geoscience programs, opportunities to explore research opportunities available in physical oceanography and near-shore geoscience; and 2) providing participants with foundational skills in basic geoscience research and science communication skills. The goal will be to provide CLOSES-GAP fellows with experiences that give insight into the diversity of research options in marine geosciences, and to provide research opportunities that leverage UNH's world-class ocean mapping facilities and personnel, including the residential facility at the Shoals Marine Laboratory, 6 miles off the coast of New Hampshire. Additional mini-courses, facilitated or created by the project team, will coach fellows on research skills, graduate admission and fellowship applications. Students will enter the program in the summer following their junior year, and be supported through the following academic year by pairs of advisors at both their home institution and UNH. Their participation will culminate in presenting their work at a national or regional science conference. Equally important to the summer research camp are the mentoring expertise and comfort that comes with familiarity of the fellows' home institutions. Before and after attending the UNH research camp, participants will complete online mini-courses in basic research skills such as statistical analysis, as well as often overlooked competencies such as data management and academic/research ethics. We will also focus on developing a "research community" in each participant cohort, highlighting the importance of interdisciplinary research groups in contemporary geosciences and marine sciences. Upon returning to their home institutions after the research camp, the focus will shift to data analysis and communicating their findings to a variety of audiences, in a range of media - from traditional professional conferences and publications to social media. At the core of the program is a holistic approach to participant support that combines unique research opportunities with highly-supportive mentoring at both UNH and their home institution. The CLOSES-GAP program will strengthen an alliance between four institutions and will recruit 30 undergraduates from underrepresented groups to participate in a program focused on preparation for graduate school and, ultimately, careers in the geosciences. Across the alliance, this program will also improve the capacity of geoscience faculty, and their respective departmental and institutional affiliations, to tailor recruitment approaches to non-majority audiences, and to support underrepresented students in successfully applying to graduate programs. In addition to these direct and immediate impacts, the CLOSES-GAP team will disseminate their findings to the larger geoscience community through traditional, academic means (publication and conference presentation), as well as through the creation of guiding resources for future partnerships.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.