EAGER: Student-Driven Internship Opportunities in the Atmospheric Sciences: Breaking Barriers to Diversity, Inclusion, and Equal Access

EAGER：学生主导的大气科学实习机会：打破多样性、包容性和平等机会的障碍

• 批准号: 2136249
• 负责人: Hector Jimenez
• 金额: $ 30万
• 依托单位: University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2024-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2136249&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: EAGER; Student; Driven; Internship; Opportunities

This grant addresses the need for increasing the levels of representation and retention of racial and ethnic minorities in the Atmospheric Sciences, focusing on underrepresented minority students at Hispanic Serving Institutions. It employs a novel approach to increasing the appeal of Atmospheric Science and Meteorology programs, the retention of students, and the probability of success after graduation, through the implementation of an internship program driven by student needs and input. A survey of the students’ interests, goals, and aspirations will guide the creation of new internship spaces tailored to the participants. The full implementation of the internships will result in a much better understanding of every aspect of the model and allow for the fine tuning of this new system. Informed by student needs, such a system has the potential to complement and perhaps replace some of the existing ways of providing enriching and motivating internship opportunities. It is expected that the internships themselves will constitute an important recruitment tool to attract and retain larger numbers of underrepresented minorities into the Geosciences. The data collected from participation and outcome statistics, combined with exit interviews would guide future implementations of this model in and outside the initial scope of the Atmospheric Sciences. This data together with follow-up contacts with the various participant cohorts may reveal important lessons that could help better understand the nature of the barriers and systemic obstacles that disproportionately affect underrepresented groups in the Geosciences. Lessons learned can be used to apply the model more widely across academic fields and student populations. This grant supports a novel approach to increasing the appeal of Atmospheric Science and Meteorology programs, the retention of students, and the probability of success after graduation, through the implementation of an internship program driven by student needs and input. A survey of the students’ interests, goals, and aspirations will guide the creation of new internship spaces tailored to the participants. The full implementation of the internships will result in a much better understanding of every aspect of the model and allow for the fine tuning of this new system. Informed by student needs, such a system has the potential to complement and perhaps replace some of the existing ways of providing enriching and motivating internship opportunities. It is expected that the internships themselves will constitute an important recruitment tool to attract and retain larger numbers of underrepresented minorities into the Geosciences.The student-driven model begins the process by surveying and encouraging students to think about the possibility of going on an internship and expressing their personal interests and aspirations in the field. With this knowledge, the project administrators will approach a wide range of prospective partners in the weather, water, and climate enterprise and research complex, to encourage them to open spaces where these students can provide a needed service while acquiring precious experience, make networking connections, and increase their self-confidence and sense of belonging. During this time, the host partner has the added benefit of getting to know and evaluate these students for future employment opportunities. At the end of the summer internship period students will be expected to prepare a presentation describing their internship project. Students will also be encouraged to develop their summer work into a poster presentation that could be presented at the following Annual Meeting of the American Meteorological Society or other relevant conference.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.

这项拨款旨在提高大气科学专业少数族裔学生的代表性和保留率，重点关注西班牙裔服务机构中代表性不足的少数族裔学生。它采用了一种新颖的方法，通过实施由学生需求和投入驱动的实习计划，来增加大气科学和气象专业的吸引力，留住学生，以及毕业后成功的可能性。对学生兴趣、目标和愿望的调查将指导为参与者量身定制的新实习空间的创建。实习的全面实施将使我们更好地理解这个模式的各个方面，并允许对这个新系统进行微调。根据学生的需要，这种系统有可能补充甚至取代现有的一些提供丰富和激励实习机会的方式。预计实习本身将成为一个重要的招聘工具，以吸引和留住更多代表性不足的少数民族进入地球科学。从参与和结果统计中收集的数据，结合退出访谈，将指导该模型在大气科学初始范围内外的未来实施。这些数据以及与不同参与者群体的后续接触可能会揭示重要的经验教训，有助于更好地理解在地球科学中不成比例地影响代表性不足群体的障碍和系统性障碍的性质。吸取的经验教训可以用于在学术领域和学生群体中更广泛地应用该模型。这项资助支持一种新颖的方法，通过实施由学生需求和投入驱动的实习计划，增加大气科学和气象项目的吸引力，留住学生，以及毕业后成功的可能性。对学生兴趣、目标和愿望的调查将指导为参与者量身定制的新实习空间的创建。实习的全面实施将使我们更好地理解这个模式的各个方面，并允许对这个新系统进行微调。根据学生的需要，这种系统有可能补充甚至取代现有的一些提供丰富和激励实习机会的方式。预计实习本身将成为一个重要的招聘工具，以吸引和留住更多代表性不足的少数民族进入地球科学。学生驱动模式通过调查和鼓励学生思考实习的可能性，并表达他们在该领域的个人兴趣和愿望来开始这个过程。有了这些知识，项目管理者将接触天气、水和气候企业和研究综合体的广泛潜在合作伙伴，鼓励他们开辟空间，让这些学生在获得宝贵经验的同时提供所需的服务，建立网络联系，增强他们的自信和归属感。在这段时间里，东道主有额外的好处去了解和评估这些学生未来的就业机会。在暑期实习结束时，学生将被要求准备一份报告，描述他们的实习项目。学生也将被鼓励将他们的暑期工作发展成海报展示，可以在接下来的美国气象学会年会上或其他相关会议上展示。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。