REU Site: Research Experience for Community College Students (RECCS) in the Geosciences

在地球科学的社区大学生（RECCS）的研究经验将通过在地球科学的真实研究，重点是当地相关的主题参与每年10名科罗拉多社区大学生。社区大学的学生在种族、民族和收入水平方面往往是多样化的，通常包括农村、第一代大学生或退伍军人身份的学生。研究表明，研究经验有助于学生提高他们对科学过程的理解，他们批判性地阅读科学文献的能力以及他们将理论与实践相结合的能力。这些学生比其他学生更有可能追求未来的研究经验或参加研究生院课程。RECC的学生招聘将侧重于吸引和支持不同的学生群体，包括来自科罗拉多农村的学生。RECCS参与者将通过由杰出科学家监督的为期九周的研究项目进行指导，并将在夏季接受专业发展培训和科学交流培训。预计研究经验将引导学生在四年制院校攻读科学学位。严格的项目评估将提供数据来衡量这些学生参与研究经验的效果，以及随后学生对追求以STEM为重点的四年制大学或研究生院学位和科学事业的兴趣。这个夏季研究项目将吸引社区大学学生的多样化干部，特别是那些来自科罗拉多农村的学生，在科学领域。学生可以在各种各样的研究课题进行独立的研究项目，包括主题，如：野火对水文和水质的影响，土壤微生物，氮沉积在科罗拉多前线范围，景观演变，渔业数据建模，空气污染的卫星监测，城市磁异常和地热场动态。RECCS研究环境旨在提供科学家，RECCS校友作为近同行导师，专业发展培训师和RECCS工作人员，以及同龄人群体互动的几层指导，以灌输学生群体内的归属感。这一结构将确保参与者获得成功完成项目所需的支持，并对其科学能力产生信心。来自科罗拉多大学博尔德分校和当地联邦实验室（包括NOAA和USGS实验室）的科学家的参与，将为学生提供跨学科和跨机构的专业知识，并促进这些研究小组之间的联系和合作。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得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来支持。

The Research Experience for Community College Students (RECCS) in the Geosciences will engage ten Colorado community college students per year through participation in authentic research in the geosciences with emphasis on locally relevant topics. Community college students tend to be diverse in terms of race, ethnicity, and income level, and often include rural, first-generation college or veteran-status students. Studies show that research experiences help students improve their understanding of the scientific process, their ability to read scientific literature critically and their ability to integrate theory and practice. These students are more likely than others to pursue future research experiences or enroll in graduate school programs. Student recruitment for RECC will focus on engaging and supporting diverse cohorts of students, including students from rural Colorado. RECCS participants will be mentored through a nine-week research project overseen by preeminent scientists and will receive professional development training and scientific communication training over the course of the summer. It is expected that the research experience will guide students toward science degrees at four-year institutions. Rigorous program evaluation will provide data to measure the effects of engaging these students in research experiences and subsequent student interest in pursuing STEM-focused four-year college or graduate school degrees and scientific careers.This summer research program will engage a diverse cadre of community college students, especially those from rural Colorado, in the sciences. Students can conduct independent research projects in a wide variety of research topics, including topics such as: wildfire impacts on hydrology and water quality, soil microbes, nitrogen deposition in the Colorado front range, landscape evolution, modeling of fisheries data, satellite monitoring of air pollution, urban magnetic anomalies and geothermal field dynamics. The RECCS research environment is designed to provide several layers of mentoring by scientists, RECCS alums as near-peer mentors, professional development trainers and RECCS staff, as well as peer-group interaction, to instill a sense of belonging within the student cohorts. This structure will ensure that participants receive the support they need to succeed in their projects and to gain confidence in their scientific ability. The involvement of scientists from Colorado University Boulder and local Federal Laboratories, including NOAA and USGS laboratories, will provide students with access to cross-disciplinary and cross-agency expertise and foster connections and collaborations between those research groups.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.