Collaborative Research: The GEO REU Network: Supporting Effective and Inclusive Research Experiences for Undergraduates in the Geosciences

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Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs) are an important part of the NSF career and broadening participation portfolio for the geosciences. This project focuses on supporting the people running NSF GEO REUs so that the programs are effective, evidence-based and inclusive. It is intended to support both new and established Principal Investigators (PIs) and managers of the REU programs funded in the Geosciences directorate (GEO) by fostering the sharing of strategies and resources and facilitating discussions amongst PIs. The GEO REU Network has been built around the GEO REU email listserv and website, events at conferences, and hosting of the biannual workshop for PIs. This award continues and expands support to the network for an additional two years. The project PIs will run workshops for new PIs and a bi-annual PI meeting. They will provide resources on timely topics such as ethics, implicit bias, sexual harassment prevention, and inclusive strategies, keeping the community current in its approaches and thinking. The effort will also include new support structures such as a GEO REU Leadership Council. In addition, a new partnership between the GEO and BIO REU community will invigorate discussions with fresh perspectives from a larger, well-established network of REU PIs.The effort to support GEO REU PIs in providing high quality research internship experiences involves the development of a Community of Practice and a body of knowledge of successful practices of mentoring, pedagogy, and diversity and inclusion. The programmatic elements included and measures taken in running an REU are advanced over time through the sharing of strategies, concerns, and successes. Improving the quality of research internships results in better trained students and more rigorous science projects. The GEO REU Network provides a mechanism for REU PIs or managers to develop higher quality REU sites using provided resources and support, and to be more successful in engaging students from a broader range of backgrounds. The project leaders will synthesize resources and strategies, facilitate discussion around challenges, and organize events for the REU PIs at conferences. The goal of this project is to support the creation of more effective and inclusive GEO REU programs. Support for this project is provided by the Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences, the Division of Earth Sciences and the Division of Ocean Sciences.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.