RaMP: Oklahoma Network addressing human impacts across biological processes (ON-RaMP)

建立一支更强大、更多样化的科学队伍对于满足重大社会需求非常重要。21世纪最大的挑战之一是理解和减轻人类活动对自然界的广泛和戏剧性影响。为了更多地参与这些努力，该项目将在俄克拉荷马州立大学建立一个网络，指导一群不同的毕业后参与者，他们将致力于研究人类对生物过程的影响的研究项目。该网络将把被辅导者与代表生物学领域和研究问题的广泛领域的导师联系起来。它将提供一个结构化的计划，以发展一个专注于专业发展的科学社区，并培养对科学的更多归属感。该计划的重点是毕业后的实习生，将解决目前在建立包容性STEM劳动力方面的一个主要差距。除了对受训者及其未来职业的直接影响外，该计划还将为一大批研究人员提供指导培训，并为从事不同领域工作的研究人员提供合作机会，以满足理解生物学中人为效应的共同目标。该项目还将提供有关增加科学参与和追求科学事业的方法的有效性的重要数据。人类成因效应正在对主要生物过程产生严重影响，包括疾病传播、物种灭绝、生态系统功能和生物地球化学循环。这些影响对人类和环境的福祉和福祉构成严重威胁。由于这些影响是如此复杂和广泛，解决它们的后果需要招募大量不同的群体进入科学事业。这个项目的目标是建立一个不同的生物学家网络，为毕业后的学生提供指导和培训，以研究人类对自然系统中生物过程的影响。该项目将在俄克拉荷马州立大学进行，该大学拥有一支强大的研究人员团队，致力于研究人类对生物学的影响，该大学位于一个生物多样性高、人为影响重大的地区。获得学士学位后，以前接受研究培训的机会有限的个人将被选中参加一个项目，该项目涉及一年的研究经验、专业发展和网络活动。选定的研究导师网络跨越多个生物学学科，将专门侧重于人类活动对疾病传播的影响、毒素对生理和生态的影响、人为干扰的行为和生理后果以及气候变化对生物过程的影响。该计划的成功将根据其对参与者的科学知识、科学归属感和职业选择的影响进行评估。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。

Building a stronger and more diverse scientific workforce is very important to address major societal needs. One of the greatest challenges of the 21st century is to understand and mitigate the extensive and dramatic effects of human activities on the natural world. To increase participation in these efforts, this project will build a network at Oklahoma State University to mentor a diverse group of post-baccalaureate participants, who will work on research projects to study human effects on biological processes. The network will connect mentees with mentors representing a broad scope of areas and research questions in biology. It will provide a structured program to develop a scientific community focused on professional development and fostering an increased sense of belonging in science. The program’s focus on post-baccalaureate trainees will address a major gap in current efforts to build an inclusive STEM workforce. In addition to the direct impacts on mentees and their future careers, this program will provide training on mentorship for a large group of researchers and opportunities for collaboration among researchers working across different fields to address the common goal of understanding anthropogenic effects in biology. The project will also provide important data on the effectiveness of methods to increase participation in science and the pursuit of scientific careers.Anthropogenic effects are having severe impacts on major biological processes, including disease transmission, species extinction, ecosystem function, and biogeochemical cycles. These impacts pose serious threats to the welfare and well-being of humans and the environment. Because these effects are so complex and widespread, addressing their consequences requires recruitment of large and diverse groups into scientific careers. The objective of this project is to build a diverse network of biologists to provide mentorship and training for post-baccalaureate students to study anthropogenic effects on biological processes in natural systems. The program will take place at Oklahoma State University, which has a strong group of researchers addressing anthropogenic effects on biology and is located in a region with high biodiversity and significant anthropogenic impacts. Individuals who are post-baccalaureate and had limited previous opportunities for research training will be chosen to participate in a program involving a year-long research experience, professional development, and networking activities. The selected network of research mentors works across multiple biological disciplines and will specifically focus on anthropogenic effects on disease spread, effects of toxins on physiology and ecology, behavioral and physiological consequences of anthropogenic disturbance, and climate change effects on biological processes. The success of the program will be evaluated in terms of its effects on participants’ scientific knowledge, sense of belonging in science, and career choices.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.