IRES Track I: United States-Nepal Collaborative Research for Climate, Water and Environmental Biotechnology (CWEB)

美国国家科学基金会IRES奖由美国摩根州立大学和尼泊尔特里布万大学的教师和学生参与。少数族裔本科生和研究生将接受气候变化、地球科学、微生物学、环境数据科学和水质分析等多学科领域的国际研究培训。学生将在不同学科的教师导师、博士后和研究生的指导下，在尼泊尔进行公民科学研究；培养领导、沟通和指导技能；拜访当地的环境管理领导；扩大与合作机构科学家的交流机会。项目完成后，学生们将通过在摩根州立大学举行的为期一天的小型研究研讨会和制作科学出版物来展示他们的发现。摩根州立大学是美国的一所HBCU，其代表性不足的少数族裔（URM）的比例很高；超过80%的学生是非裔美国人。这个IRES Track I项目将为这些学生提供在尼泊尔加德满都进行有益的国际研究的机会。在摩根州立大学接受必要的培训和研究准备后，每年将有10名学生在三个夏季期间前往尼泊尔进行实地和实验室研究。拟议的网站旨在形成一个跨学科的工作队伍，活动将包括a)短期课程，b)领导能力，科学伦理和沟通技巧研讨会，c)指导研究，d)杰出科学家的系列研讨会和e)实地考察和社会活动。该方案由特里布万大学中央微生物系、中央环境科学系、分子动力学中心、公共卫生研究实验室和加德满都生物科学研究所共同组织。主要的研究工作将集中在以下领域：a)气候变化和饮用水质量；B)新发病原体；c)疾病生态学，d)环境生物技术。他们将在尼泊尔度过总共10周的时间，研究将在尼泊尔的三个城镇（加德满都大都市、拉利特普尔和巴克塔普尔）进行，这些城镇具有不同的社会经济因素。在这个IRES项目的过程中，美国和尼泊尔的合作伙伴将通过研究培训、国际团队合作和文化交流加强合作。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 National Science Foundation IRES award engages faculty and students from Morgan State University, USA, and Tribhuvan University, Nepal. Underrepresented minority undergraduate and graduate students will receive international research training in the multidisciplinary areas of climate change, geosciences, microbiology, environmental data science and water quality analysis. The students will conduct hands-on citizen science research in Nepal under the guidance of diverse interdisciplinary faculty mentors, postdocs, and peer graduate students; develop leadership, communication, and mentoring skills; visit local leaders in environmental stewardship; and expand networking opportunities with scientists at the partner institutes. Upon the completion of the project, students will present their findings through a one-day Mini-research Symposium at Morgan State and by producing scientific publications. Morgan State, a U.S. HBCU, has a high percentage of underrepresented minorities (URM); more than 80% of its student population is African American. This IRES Track I program will provide these students with a rewarding international research opportunity in Kathmandu, Nepal. Following required training and research preparation at Morgan State University, 10 students annually over the course of three summers will travel to Nepal for field and laboratory research. The proposed site aims to form an interdisciplinary workforce and the activities will include a) short courses, b) workshops on leadership, scientific ethics, and communication skills, c) mentored research, d) seminar series from prominent scientists and e) field trips and social events. The program is co-organized by the Tribhuvan University Central Department of Microbiology, Central Department of Environmental Science, Center for Molecular Dynamics, Public Health Research Laboratory and Kathmandu Research Institute for Biological Sciences. Major research efforts will focus on these areas a) changing climate and drinking water quality; b) emerging pathogens; and c) disease ecology, and d) environmental biotechnology. They will spend a total of 10 weeks in Nepal and research will be conducted in three towns within Nepal (Kathmandu metropolitan city, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur) with different socioeconomic factors. Over the course of this IRES program, the US and Nepalese partners will strengthen their collaboration through research training, international teamwork, and cultural exchange.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.