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（IIITSEs）来重新构想研究生阶段STEM研究的结构和成果，以解决随着人类活动对地球气候和生态系统产生重大影响而出现的挑战。iiitse是协作性的，文化肯定的，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，支持种族多样化的教师和学生群体，并在STEM学科内外促进公正，公平，多元化和包容性的校园和社区。当前的社会时刻暴露了学术界的结构性不平等和不公正。特别是，STEM研究生教育体系没有为土著学者创造一个茁壮成长的环境。要解决这个问题，必须以不同的身份、批判性学术、主权和自决为中心。该项目将让亚利桑那州立大学的土著研究生参与到由土著和拉丁裔学者主导的沉浸式学习体验中。这些身临其境的学习体验将使学生培养合作、沟通和解决问题的关键技能，同时也培养了一个深刻反思、文化肯定和赋权的空间。学习社区旨在1)促进STEM领域的跨学科合作，2)提升土著教师跨学科和跨机构的合作，以及3)为STEM研究生提供文化肯定的研究体验。IIITSE的概念是基于土著学生在高等教育中取得成功的“四个R”（尊重、相关性、互惠、责任）框架的包容性教学方法。将4r框架整合到STEM教学法中可以采取多种形式，包括使用文化知识和实践的课堂和研究课程。这些方法对土著学生在本科STEM课程中的成功产生了积极的影响；然而，目前尚不清楚将这些原则转移到研究生水平的STEM研究中将如何影响学生的看法和结果，或者它如何转化为支持土著学者种族平等的持久制度变革。本项目旨在回答一个首要的研究问题：如何通过IIITSEs将4Rs框架整合到研究生研究中，以改善结果并增加土著人民的种族平等？该项目将评估该项目在多大程度上遵守了4r原则，以及4r原则与土著研究生在STEM领域的种族平等之间的关系。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的访谈。使用4r方法，种族平等将贯穿于研究过程的所有部分，同时研究进展和分享发现，以便实施研究计划的变化，并加速研究生教育的转型。本项目由STEM教育中的种族平等项目（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的种族平等的项目。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。该项目符合美国国家科学基金会的核心价值，即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。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。

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.