Collaborative Research: The Polaris Project - Catalyzing Change in the Arctic Research Community

北极星项目吸引了不同群体的本科生从事前沿的北极研究，并为他们提供鼓励、指导和继续从事北极研究的机会。该项目旨在解决极地地球科学工作人员缺乏种族和民族多样性的问题，还将培训学生与北极当地社区共同生产知识的过程。除了将科学进步与社会需求联系起来的内在好处之外，本科生的科学动机越来越多地集中在“有所作为”的愿望上，而不仅仅是收集、综合和报告数据。北极星项目将开发一个本科生研究和指导模式来支持这一需求。北极星项目的核心要素是为期一个月的夏季体验，其中包括对阿拉斯加育空三角洲的实地考察，在此期间，学生将完成自己设计的研究项目。探险参与者解决了一个具有重大科学和社会意义的问题，即火灾和永久冻土融化对北极景观脆弱性的影响。作为考察的一部分，学生和教师还将花时间与阿拉斯加当地和土著居民互动并向他们学习，他们正在亲身体验环境变化的影响。在科学知识的产生过程中，与北极当地和土著社区进行接触，对于了解北极系统，并将这些知识应用于有效解决地方乃至全球范围内的社会需求至关重要。该项目将开发一种本科教育模式，其中包括开展科学研究，并结合当地和土著社区的宝贵专业知识、培训和投入。对该模型的评估将提高我们对如何设计项目的理解，使本科生参与研究，包括与当地社区共同生产知识，特别是在阿拉斯加的北极相关科学方面。该提案得到了极地项目办公室和本科教育司的支持。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识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 Polaris Project engages a diverse group of undergraduate students in cutting-edge arctic research and provides them encouragement, mentoring, and opportunities to continue pursuing arctic studies. The program, which is designed to address the lack of racial and ethnic diversity in the polar geoscience workforce, will also train students in the process of co-production of knowledge with local communities in the Arctic. In addition to the inherent benefit of linking scientific progress to societal needs, undergraduate students' scientific motivations are increasingly focused on a desire to 'make a difference' that extends beyond collecting, synthesizing, and reporting data. The Polaris Project will develop an undergraduate student research and mentoring model that supports this need. The central element of the Polaris Project is the month-long summer experience, which includes a field expedition to the Yukon Kuskokwim Delta in Alaska, during which students will complete a research project of their own design. Expedition participants tackle an issue of great scientific and societal importance, the impacts of fire and permafrost thaw on the vulnerability of the Arctic landscape. As part of the expedition, students and faculty will also spend time interacting with and learning from local and indigenous residents of Alaska who are experiencing the effects of the changing environment first-hand. Engaging with local and indigenous Arctic communities in the generation of scientific knowledge is critical to understanding the Arctic system and to applying this knowledge to effectively address societal needs at local to global scales. The project will develop a model for undergraduate education that includes conducting scientific research combined with invaluable expertise, training, and input from local and indigenous communities. Evaluation of the model will improve our understanding of how to design projects that engage undergraduates in research that encompasses co-production of knowledge with local communities, and particularly in arctic-related science in Alaska. This proposal is supported by the Office of Polar Programs and by the Division of Undergraduate Education.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.