Targeted Infusion Project: Engaging Undergraduates in STEM using Drosophila Behavioural Genetics (EUSTEM-DaBuGs TIP)

历史黑人学院和大学本科项目(HBCU-UP)通过定向灌输项目支持基于证据的创新模式和方法的开发、实施和研究，以提高HBCU本科生在STEM研究生项目和/或职业生涯中的准备和成功。北卡罗来纳中央大学(NCCU)的这个项目将通过在两门课程中创建基于课程的本科研究体验(CURE)来开发行为遗传学和工程设计方面的综合本科教育、培训和研究计划：二年级的选修课和三年级的必修课。在两门生物学课程中注入跨学科的疗法，发展跨学科的暑期研究经验，以及加强与周边研究机构的现有关系，都将对NCCU的学生和教职员工产生直接影响。该项目将促进学生留住，并激励未被充分代表的少数族裔学生(URM)在STEM学科中继续研究生学习和/或职业生涯。该项目的总体目标是教育、培训NCCU的URM学生，并为他们提供跨学科的研究经验；从而促进STEM专业的本科生成功入学，并进入附近的研究-1机构(杜克大学、北卡罗来纳大学教堂山分校和北卡罗来纳州州立大学)的研究生课程。具体目标是：1)通过两个治疗课程，注入包括工程设计挑战和测量果蝇行为在内的现实世界研究经验，并将这些行为与遗传学(DaBuGs)联系起来；2)让二年级/三年级的研究员参与与研究指导课程相关的跨学科暑期研究体验，主要目标是完成从两个治疗课程开始的真实研究和设计项目。长期目标是在NCCU创建一个综合的工程和DaBuGs教育、培训和研究计划。预计这将提高学生在STEM中的表现和热情，并通过二年级和三年级的生物学课程让URM学生接触到工程设计和行为研究。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) through Targeted Infusion Projects supports the development, implementation, and study of evidence-based innovative models and approaches for improving the preparation and success of HBCU undergraduate students in STEM graduate programs and/or careers. The project at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) will develop an integrated undergraduate education, training, and research initiative in behavioral genetics and engineering design by creating Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) in two courses: a sophomore elective and a junior required course. The infusion of cross-disciplinary CUREs into two biology courses, development of a cross-disciplinary summer research experience and the strengthening of the existing relationships with surrounding Research institutions will have a direct impact on students and faculty at NCCU. The project will facilitate student retention and motivate underrepresented minority students (URM) to pursue graduate studies and/or careers in STEM disciplines.The overall goal of the project is to educate, train, and provide cross-disciplinary research experiences to URM students at NCCU; thus, facilitating a successful undergraduate matriculation within STEM majors and into graduate programs at nearby Research-1 institutions (Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill and NC State University). The specific goals are: 1) to infuse real-world research experiences including engineering design challenges and measuring Drosophila Behaviours and relating these behaviors to Genetics (DaBuGs) through two CURE courses and 2) to have sophomore/junior-level research fellows participate in a cross-disciplinary, summer research experience tied to a research mentoring course with the primary goal of completing authentic research and design projects begun in the two CURE courses. The long-term goal is to create an integrated engineering and DaBuGs education, training, and research initiative at NCCU. This is expected to increase student performance and enthusiasm in STEM, and expose URM students to engineering design and behavioral research through the sophomore- and junior-level biology CUREs.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.