RCN-UBE: Alaska Undergraduate Research Experience: Partnering for Alaska Students by Growing Recruitment and Retention through Undergraduate Research

将来自不同背景的学生与具有文化敏感性的导师联系起来进行基于地方的研究是提高生物科学保留率的一种方法。阿拉斯加是228个联邦政府承认的阿拉斯加土著部落的家园，包括一些最多样化的机构在该国。这种高水平的学生多样性并没有反映在现有的科学导师库中，这表明需要为更多的阿拉斯加研究人员提供文化上负责任的导师培训。通过向研究人员提供导师培训，该项目“AK UNiTE”旨在提高阿拉斯加学生，特别是来自历史上被边缘化群体的学生参与阿拉斯加学术和其他部门生物研究的兴趣。最终，这项工作预计将为更多的阿拉斯加人准备STEM职业，并通过整合历史和整体的基于地点的知识来改变科学理解。AK UNiTE将在其五年供资期间实现三个主要目标。首先，阿拉斯加研究界的多个网络成员群体将参加对文化敏感的导师培训，以改善阿拉斯加学生现有的研究机会。其次，AK UNiTE将与所有具有研究意识的利益相关者（本科生，教师和非学术研究合作伙伴，包括州，联邦和部落机构）合作，以确保可持续的沟通，以确定挑战，确定机会，并创造条件支持本科研究人员及其导师。定期的虚拟会议和论坛将提供一个平台，以不断发展的想法，支持当前和未来的文化指导生物研究的做法。最后，研究人员将被激励与教师合作，将相关和适当的研究组成部分纳入100级和200级的入门科学课程。该项目将每年由第三方评估人员进行评估，以确保在实现这些总体目标方面取得进展。总的来说，AK UNiTE的目标是成为连接阿拉斯加本科生与文化相关的地方为基础的研究机会和指导的桥梁，从而增加在生物科学的保留。该项目由生物科学理事会、生物基础设施处、教育和人力资源理事会、本科教育处联合资助，作为应对本科生物学教育中的愿景和变革：行动呼吁所带来挑战的努力的一部分。（网址：//visionandchange/finalreport/），以及社会、行为和经济科学理事会，道德和负责任的研究计划。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为是值得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的支持。

Connecting students from diverse backgrounds to place-based research with culturally responsive mentors is one approach for increasing retention in the biological sciences. Alaska is home to 228 federally recognized Alaska Native tribes and includes some of the most diverse institutions in the country. This high level of student diversity is not reflected in the available pool of scientific mentors, which identifies the need to provide culturally responsible mentor training for more Alaskan researchers. By providing researchers with mentorship training, this project, AK UNiTE, aims to enhance the interest of Alaskan students, particularly those from historically marginalized groups, in participating in biological research in academic and other sectors in Alaska. Ultimately, this work is expected to prepare a greater number of Alaskans for STEM careers and transform scientific understanding by incorporating historical and holistic place-based knowledge. AK UNiTE will undertake three major objectives during its five years of funding. First, multiple cohorts of network members in the Alaska research community will participate in culturally sensitive mentorship training to improve existing research opportunities for Alaskan students. Second, AK UNiTE will work collaboratively with all research-minded stakeholders (undergraduate students, faculty, and non-academic research partners, including state, federal, and tribal agencies) to ensure sustainable communication to define challenges, identify the opportunities, and create conditions to support undergraduate researchers and their mentors. Regular virtual meetings and forums will provide a platform for the continual evolution of ideas that support current and future cultural mentoring practices in biological research. Finally, researchers will be incentivized to collaborate with faculty to incorporate relevant and appropriate research components into 100- and 200-level introductory science courses. The project will be assessed annually by a third-party evaluator to ensure progress towards these overarching objectives. Overall, the goal of AK UNiTE is to be a bridge connecting undergraduate Alaskan students with culturally relevant place-based research opportunities and mentorship, thereby increasing retention in the biological sciences. This project is being jointly funded by the Directorate for Biological Sciences, Division of Biological Infrastructure, the Directorate for Education and Human Resources, Division of Undergraduate Education as part of their efforts to address the challenges posed in Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education: A Call to Action (http://visionandchange/finalreport/), and by the Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences, Ethical and Responsible Research Program.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.