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REU Site: Undergraduate Research Opportunities in Cave and Karst Science (U-ROCKS)

REU 网站：洞穴和喀斯特科学本科生研究机会 (U-ROCKS)

基本信息

批准号：
2050819
负责人：
R Shane McGary
金额：
$ 34.99万
依托单位：
James Madison University
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
Standard Grant
财政年份：
2021
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2021-09-01 至 2024-08-31
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2050819&HistoricalAwards=false
关键词：
REU Site Undergraduate Research Opportunities

项目摘要

Undergraduate Research Opportunities for Cave and Karst Science (U-ROCKS) is a unique Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) site that gives students an opportunity to explore the multi-disciplinary field of cave and karst science. Karst is a type of landscape where rocks (usually made of carbonate, like limestone) are dissolved by interaction with water. As the rocks dissolve, subsurface caves and underground river systems are created, and surface features such as sinkholes, disappearing streams, and springs may form. Karst makes up about 20% of the land surface in the U.S., and nearly half of the drinking water in the US comes from karst groundwater sources (also known as karst aquifers). Drinking water from karst aquifers is particularly vulnerable to contamination, and karst surface features can affect the ability to build on the land. Therefore, specialists trained in cave and karst science, such as those who participate in U-ROCKS, are attractive not only in the academy, but for careers and work involving land management, water resources, transportation, and civil engineering. The recruitment process for this REU site will focus on the integration of students from historically underrepresented groups, including a cohort of 3-4 students per year from the University of Puerto Rico system, and a similar number from regional community colleges near James Madison University. U-ROCKS REU site is designed to provide an original and independent well mentored undergraduate research experience, as well as a thoughtful approach to the students’ personal and professional growth. The primary goal of the U-ROCKS program is to provide a catalytic, intentional, and sustained experience for a diverse group of ten promising undergraduate students each year. This will be accomplished via four different pathways. First, the students will conduct mentored independent research projects working on projects related to karst over a broad range of disciplines; some example projects might involve the geophysical characterization of void spaces, isotopic geochemical analysis of stalactite samples to get at paleoclimate, analysis of a fragile cave ecosystem, and development of land use policy to protect water resources. Secondly, we will organize scientific workshops in cave and karst science to provide a broad and solid foundation and give students opportunities to share their work with the cohort. Thirdly, the workshops will have a strong personal and professional development component, with a focus on diversity and inclusion, scientific ethical behavior, scientific identity, belongingness, independence, and self-efficacy. Finally, there will be a focus on building a diverse learning community through peer mentoring and social activities. The secondary goal of U-ROCKS will be to generate original, multi-disciplinary research related to cave and karst science, leading to abstracts and publications. This will be accomplished by strongly encouraging research projects and the mentor/mentee relationships to continue beyond the ten-week summer session. The tertiary goal of the U-ROCKS program will be to further enrich JMU’s culture of undergraduate mentoring. This will be accomplished by offering a mentor workshop using the Entering Mentoring curriculum developed by Christine Pfund and others. Mentors from four different REU programs housed within JMU’s College of Science and Mathematics will be invited to participate in this roundtable workshop, enabling the sharing of experience and expertise to increase the mentoring capacity within the already formidable JMU 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.

洞穴和岩溶科学的本科生研究机会（U-ROCKS）是一个独特的本科生研究体验（REU）网站，让学生有机会探索洞穴和岩溶科学的多学科领域。喀斯特是一种景观类型，岩石（通常由碳酸盐组成，如石灰石）通过与水的相互作用而溶解。随着岩石的溶解，地下洞穴和地下河流系统被创造出来，地表特征，如天坑，消失的溪流和泉水可能会形成。喀斯特占美国陆地面积的20%，美国近一半的饮用水来自岩溶地下水源（也称为岩溶含水层）。来自岩溶含水层的饮用水特别容易受到污染，而岩溶地表特征会影响在土地上建造的能力。因此，在洞穴和岩溶科学培训的专家，如那些谁参加U-ROCKS，是有吸引力的，不仅在学院，但涉及土地管理，水资源，交通和土木工程的职业和工作。这个REU网站的招聘过程将侧重于从历史上代表性不足的群体，包括每年从波多黎各系统的大学3 - 4名学生的队列的学生的整合，并从詹姆斯麦迪逊大学附近的区域社区学院的类似数量。U-ROCKS REU网站旨在提供原创和独立的良好指导的本科研究经验，以及对学生个人和专业成长的周到方法。 U-ROCKS计划的主要目标是每年为十名有前途的本科生提供催化，有意和持续的经验。这将通过四种不同的途径来实现。首先，学生将进行指导的独立研究项目，在广泛的学科与岩溶相关的项目工作;一些示例项目可能涉及空隙空间的地球物理特征，钟乳石样品的同位素地球化学分析，以获得古气候，脆弱的洞穴生态系统的分析，以及土地利用政策的发展，以保护水资源。其次，我们将组织洞穴和岩溶科学的科学研讨会，以提供广泛而坚实的基础，并让学生有机会与同龄人分享他们的工作。第三，研讨会将有一个强大的个人和专业发展的组成部分，重点是多样性和包容性，科学道德行为，科学身份，积极性，独立性和自我效能。最后，将通过同伴指导和社会活动，重点建设一个多样化的学习社区。U-ROCKS的第二个目标是产生与洞穴和岩溶科学相关的原创性多学科研究，从而产生摘要和出版物。这将通过大力鼓励研究项目和导师/学员关系在为期十周的夏季会议之后继续进行来实现。U-ROCKS计划的第三个目标是进一步丰富JMU的本科生指导文化。这将通过使用由克莉丝汀Pfund和其他人开发的入门指导课程提供指导研讨会来实现。来自JMU科学与数学学院的四个不同REU项目的导师将被邀请参加这次圆桌研讨会，从而分享经验和专业知识，以提高已经强大的JMU社区的指导能力。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。