Immersive, Interdisciplinary, Identity-based Team Science Experiences for Indigenous Graduate Scholars

该项目旨在通过提供沉浸式、跨学科、基于身份的团队科学体验 (IIITSE) 来重新构想研究生阶段 STEM 研究的结构和成果，以解决人类活动对地球气候和生态系统造成重大影响而出现的挑战。 IIITSE 是协作性、文化肯定性和以解决方案为导向的研究项目，以多样化的知识系统为中心，以响应社区需求，支持不同种族的教师和学生群体，并在 STEM 学科内外促进公正、公平、多样化和包容性的校园和社区。当前的社会形势暴露了学院内部的结构性不平等和不公正现象。特别是，STEM 研究生教育体系并没有为本土学者的蓬勃发展创造环境。为了解决这个问题，必须以多样化的身份、批判性的学术、主权和自决为中心。该项目将使亚利桑那州立大学的土著研究生参与由主要由土著和拉丁裔学者组成的教师队伍领导的沉浸式学习体验。这些沉浸式学习体验将使学生能够培养协作、沟通和解决问题的关键技能，同时也培养深度反思、文化肯定和赋权的空间。学习社区的目标是 1) 促进 STEM 中的跨学科合作，2) 提升跨学科和跨机构的原住民教师合作，3) 支持在文化上肯定 STEM 研究生的研究经验。IIITSE 概念以原住民学生在高等教育中取得成功的“4 R”（尊重、相关性、互惠性、责任）框架的包容性教学方法为基础。将 4R 框架融入 STEM 教学法可以采取多种形式，包括使用文化知识和实践的课堂和研究课程。这些方法为土著学生在本科 STEM 课程中取得成功带来了积极成果；然而，目前尚不清楚将这些原则转移到研究生水平的 STEM 研究将如何影响学生的看法和结果，或者如何转化为支持土著学者种族平等的持久制度变革。该项目旨在回答一个首要的研究问题：如何通过 IIITSE 将 4R 框架整合到研究生研究中来改善成果并增加原住民的种族平等？该项目将评估该计划对 4R 的遵守程度，以及 4R 与土著研究生学者 STEM 中的种族平等的关系。定性方法将包括对参加 IIITSE 项目的学生、教职员工和社区成员进行访谈。采用4R方法，种族平等将贯穿研究过程的各个部分，同时研究进展并分享研究结果，以便实施研究举措的改变并加速研究生教育的转型。该项目由STEM教育中的种族平等计划（EHR种族平等）资助。该计划支持通过研究和实践促进科学、技术、工程和数学 (STEM) 教育和劳动力发展方面种族平等的项目。获奖项目集中了受 STEM 领域系统性种族主义造成的不平等影响最大的个人、社区和机构的声音、知识和经验。该计划符合 NSF 支持来自全国不同人口群体、地区和组织类型的杰出研究人员和创新思想家的核心价值观。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project aims to re-imagine the structure and outcomes of STEM research at the graduate level, by providing Immersive, Interdisciplinary, Identity-based Team Science Experiences (IIITSEs) to solve challenges that have emerged as human activity has led to significant impacts on the planet's climate and ecosystems. IIITSEs are collaborative, culturally affirming, and solutions-oriented research projects that center diverse knowledge systems to respond to community needs, support cohorts of racially diverse faculty and students, and promote a just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive campus and community within and beyond the STEM disciplines. The current societal moment has laid bare structural inequities and injustice within the academy. In particular, the system for graduate education in STEM does not foster an environment for Indigenous scholars to thrive. To address this problem, diverse identities, critical scholarship, sovereignty, and self-determination must be centered. This project will engage Indigenous graduate students at Arizona State University in immersive learning experiences led by a faculty cohort of predominantly Indigenous and Latinx scholars. These immersive learning experiences will allow students to develop critical skills in collaboration, communication, and problem solving while also cultivating a space for deep reflection, cultural affirmation, and empowerment. The learning community aims to 1) promote interdisciplinary collaboration in STEM, 2) elevate Indigenous faculty collaboration across disciplines and across the institution, and 3) support culturally affirming research experiences for graduate students in STEM.The IIITSE concept is underpinned by the inclusive pedagogical approach of the “Four R’s” (Respect, Relevance, Reciprocity, Responsibility) framework for Indigenous student success in higher education. Integration of the 4Rs framework into STEM pedagogy can take many forms, including classroom and research curricula that use cultural knowledge and practices. Such approaches produce positive outcomes of Indigenous student success in undergraduate STEM courses; however, it remains unclear how transferring these principles to graduate-level STEM research will influence student perceptions and outcomes, or how it might translate into lasting institutional changes that support racial equity for Indigenous scholars. This project aims to answer an overarching research question: How does integration of the 4Rs framework into graduate research via IIITSEs improve outcomes and increase racial equity for Indigenous people? The project will evaluate how well the program adheres to the 4Rs, and how the 4Rs relate to racial equity in STEM for graduate Indigenous scholars. Qualitative methods will include interviews of students, faculty, staff, and community members who participate in the IIITSE program. Using the 4Rs approach, racial equity will be enacted through all parts of the research process, while simultaneously studying the progress and sharing findings so that changes to research initiatives can be implemented and transformation of graduate education can be accelerated.This project is funded by the Racial Equity in STEM Education program (EHR Racial Equity). The program supports projects that promote racial equity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and workforce development through research and practice. Awarded projects center the voices, knowledge, and experiences of the individuals, communities, and institutions most impacted by the inequities caused by systemic racism in STEM fields. This program aligns with NSF’s core value of supporting outstanding researchers and innovative thinkers from across the Nation's diversity of demographic groups, regions, and types of organizations.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.