REU Site: Research Experience for Neurodiverse Students: Transforming the Nation's Aging Infrastructure by Advancing Radical Solutions

REU 网站：神经多元化学生的研究经验：通过推进激进的解决方案改变国家老化的基础设施

• 批准号: 2051074
• 负责人: Alexandra Hain
• 金额: $ 40.67万
• 依托单位: University of Connecticut
• 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: 2021-04-01 至 2025-03-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2051074&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: REU; Site; Research; Experience; Neurodiverse

Supported by the NSF Division of Engineering Education and Centers, this REU Site develops capacity in an area of national priority by increasing the number of individuals with expertise and creative problem-solving abilities in the field of aging civil infrastructure. This program addresses a critical need for research and training while targeting the needs of traditionally underserved and underrepresented groups of neurodiverse students in engineering programs, including those with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and/or dyslexia, who are at high risk of academic failure. The REU Site will directly benefit participants by providing a positive research experience that recognizes and builds on their unique strengths to improve their self-image, encourages their persistence in engineering careers, and enhances their participation in engineering research. Additionally, the program aims to increase understanding of the challenges of neurodiverse students in traditional engineering education settings. This knowledge provides a foundation for the future development of specialized programs that increase participation and foster the unique assets of this underrepresented group. The principal investigators will use formal and informal opportunities to inform engineering researchers and educators about the program to promote awareness about the unique talents and diverse learning needs of neurodiverse students within the engineering community. The information disseminated through this project may contribute to a change in how neurodiverse individuals are perceived by our society and our education system. It may lead to significant enhancement in the wellbeing of these individuals and their families.This unique program nurtures the out-of-the-box thinking potential of neurodiverse students to advance radical solutions to the problems facing the nation’s aging water, power, or transportation infrastructure. This is accomplished by promoting the application of big data, machine learning (ML), and artificial intelligence (AI) in tackling the engineering challenges caused by the interconnectivity, interdependency, and complexity of infrastructure systems. The magnitude of the problem demands advancing nontraditional, data-driven assessment methods and highlights the potential for incorporating AI and data-driven damage quantification methods in decision-making processes. The knowledge gained and solutions developed will establish the application of AI as a powerful tool for addressing the complex and pressing challenges posed by our nation’s aging infrastructure. This project capitalizes on the untapped strengths of an underserved population to promote creativity by encouraging novel, transformative, and radical approaches. The knowledge generated through this project regarding the experience of neurodiverse students and the obstacles they face in traditional engineering education and research settings may significantly encourage future research in learning environments and workforce development. It is anticipated that this work may also contribute to the development of more inclusive engineering programs for neurodiverse students. If retained, trained, and mentored, this underserved population of students presents significant potential to benefit society in areas in which innovation and creativity are most needed.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.

在NSF工程教育和中心部门的支持下，该REU网站通过增加在老化民用基础设施领域具有专业知识和创造性解决问题能力的个人数量，来发展国家优先领域的能力。该计划解决了研究和培训的关键需求，同时针对工程项目中传统上服务不足和代表性不足的神经多样性学生群体的需求，包括患有ADHD（注意缺陷多动障碍）和/或阅读障碍的学生，他们面临着学业失败的高风险。REU网站将通过提供积极的研究体验来直接使参与者受益，这种体验认识并利用他们的独特优势来改善他们的自我形象，鼓励他们坚持工程职业生涯，并增强他们对工程研究的参与。此外，该计划旨在增加对传统工程教育环境中神经多样性学生的挑战的理解。 这方面的知识为今后制定专门方案奠定了基础，这些方案增加了这一代表性不足的群体的参与，并培养了他们的独特资产。主要研究人员将利用正式和非正式的机会，告知工程研究人员和教育工作者有关该计划，以促进对工程社区内神经多样性学生的独特才能和多样化学习需求的认识。通过这个项目传播的信息可能有助于改变我们的社会和教育系统对神经多样性个体的看法。这一独特的项目培养了神经多样性学生的开箱即用的思维潜力，以推进国家老化的水、电或交通基础设施所面临的问题的根本解决方案。这是通过促进大数据，机器学习（ML）和人工智能（AI）的应用来解决基础设施系统的互联性，相互依赖性和复杂性所带来的工程挑战。问题的严重性要求推进非传统的数据驱动的评估方法，并强调了将人工智能和数据驱动的损害量化方法纳入决策过程的潜力。所获得的知识和开发的解决方案将使人工智能的应用成为解决我国老化的基础设施所带来的复杂和紧迫挑战的有力工具。该项目利用未得到充分服务的人口的未开发优势，通过鼓励新颖，变革和激进的方法来促进创造力。通过该项目产生的关于神经多样性学生的经验和他们在传统工程教育和研究环境中面临的障碍的知识可能会大大鼓励未来的学习环境和劳动力发展的研究。预计这项工作也可能有助于为神经多样性学生开发更具包容性的工程项目。如果能留住、培训和指导这些未得到充分服务的学生群体，他们将在最需要创新和创造力的领域展现出巨大的潜力，造福社会。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并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，被认为值得支持。

项目成果

Board 431: Why Research Involvement Makes an Engaging Learning Experience for Neurodiverse Students

Board 431：为什么研究参与能为神经多元化的学生带来引人入胜的学习体验

• DOI: 10.18260/1-2--43176
• 发表时间: 2024
• 期刊: ASEE Conferences
• 作者: Hain, Alexandra;Esmaili Zaghi, Arash;Grey, Alexander
• 通讯作者: Grey, Alexander