Implementation Project: Training Undergraduates in Bioengineering and Nano-Biotechnology (TUBN)

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Implementation Projects in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities - Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) provide support to design, implement, study and assess comprehensive institutional efforts to increase the numbers of students and the quality of their preparation by strengthening science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and research. This implementation project at Alabama State University provides a multilayered approach to broaden opportunities for African-American students to succeed in STEM majors. The project has a strong focus on preparing undergraduate students for graduate school or the workforce, focusing on the areas of bioengineering and nano-biotechnology. The project is guided and informed by an on-going evaluation, as well as by internal and external advisory committees.The project builds on two successful previous implementation projects that strengthened STEM programs at the university. The project will implement a variety of activities designed to instill a research culture among the participants - high school students, high school science teachers, undergraduate students, and STEM faculty. Specific activities are: technology-integrated STEM curricula with focus on student learning; a student research program at on-campus, off-campus, international sites and national laboratories; a holistic approach of student recruitment, retention and transition to graduate schools; a multi-faceted mentoring program to achieve student success in STEM fields; a robust program for faculty research and professional development; and a research study to examine the efficacy of these activities. This project promises to have wide-reaching broader impacts at the university and in the larger HBCU community.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.