NSF IRES Track I: Filling the gaps in WaSH research through field-based student research experiences in Malawi

NSF IRES 第一轨：通过马拉维学生的实地研究经验填补 WaSH 研究的空白

• 批准号: 2246372
• 负责人: Francis de los Reyes
• 金额: $ 30万
• 依托单位: North Carolina State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-04-01 至 2026-03-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2246372&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: NSF; IRES; Track; Filling; gaps

This IRES project aims to provide transformational international experiences to U.S. students as they participate in rigorous and critically needed on-the-ground water, sanitation, and hygiene (WaSH) research in Malawi. This is a mutually beneficial project that will provide invaluable experiences for students from NC State University and University of Louisville, who will be exposed to interdisciplinary thinking, problem-solving, and leading-edge, field-based research in WaSH. These students are future leaders in science, engineering, and policy. Their understanding of the global challenge of water and sanitation and the local contexts of communities is crucial to their envisioning effective and innovative solutions not just in Malawi and the U.S., but all over the world. WaSH issues directly affect public health and the environment; transformative research has the potential to increase the quality of life of billions of people affected by lack of access to water and sanitation. In Malawi, this research would increase safe water and sanitation services in underserved communities, and help the country meet UN Sustainable Development Goal 6. This project also strengthens research capacity in Malawi by expanding our university partners’ range of field-based research topics. This program maximizes our long-standing partnership and collaborative research with WaSH researchers at Mzuzu University (MZUNI) and the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST). The program will support the research experience in Malawi of a total of 23 undergraduate and graduate students over three years (6-7 NC State University and 1 University of Louisville student every year). The intensive research in Malawi is for 8 weeks, but each student will be engaged in the IRES program before and after the international experience, for a total of 16 months. Vibrant interdisciplinary collaborations among the students (coming from engineering, environmental science, natural resources, and economics) and among the Malawi mentors and their students will be ensured through joint research, cultural, and service activities. The overall research goal of this IRES project is to collaboratively address WaSH research gaps in Malawi, through field-based student research experiences, beyond traditional (mainstream) research topics in water and sanitation. Addressing these gaps will increase WaSH research in Malawi, add dimensions to current research foci, and help bridge the acknowledged countrywide gap in sanitation and water-related human capacity. This research will also advance the global thinking and agenda on effective WaSH approaches beyond Malawi. The overall training goal is to provide transformational research experiences to NC State University and University of Louisville students, leading to graduates who: (1) will engage in interdisciplinary thinking, problem-solving, and research in WaSH; (2) are globally aware and culturally competent; (3) can leverage their field experience working with diverse communities to develop context-adapted solutions; and (4) will view these solutions through a holistic lens, considering equity, sustainability, and long-term benefits and impacts of their research. We will achieve these goals through: (1) co-designed research activities (with an emphasis on both field- and lab-based research in Malawi) that maximize the strengths and expertise at the partner universities and research sites; (2) individual- and cohort-based training with emphasis on learning outcomes; (3) cultural activities and a service learning project for the IRES students in partnership with their peers in Malawi; and (4) a continuous monitoring and evaluation program that will provide summative and formative assessment.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.

这个IRES项目旨在为美国学生提供变革性的国际经验，因为他们参加了马拉维严格和急需的地下水，环境卫生和个人卫生（WaSH）研究。这是一个互惠互利的项目，将为来自北卡罗来纳州立大学和路易斯维尔大学的学生提供宝贵的经验，他们将接触到跨学科的思维，解决问题和前沿的，基于现场的研究。这些学生是科学，工程和政策的未来领导者。他们对水和卫生设施的全球挑战以及社区的当地背景的理解对于他们设想有效和创新的解决方案至关重要，不仅在马拉维和美国，而是全世界WaSH问题直接影响公共卫生和环境;变革性研究有可能提高数十亿受缺乏水和卫生设施影响的人的生活质量。在马拉维，这项研究将增加服务不足社区的安全用水和卫生服务，并帮助该国实现联合国可持续发展目标6。该项目还通过扩大我们的大学合作伙伴的实地研究课题范围，加强了马拉维的研究能力。该计划最大限度地提高了我们与姆祖祖大学（MZUNI）和马拉维科技大学（MUST）的WASH研究人员的长期合作伙伴关系和合作研究。该计划将支持在马拉维的研究经验，共23名本科生和研究生超过三年（6-7 NC州立大学和路易斯维尔大学的学生每年1）。在马拉维的密集研究是8周，但每个学生将在国际经验之前和之后从事IRES计划，共16个月。学生（来自工程，环境科学，自然资源和经济学）和马拉维导师及其学生之间充满活力的跨学科合作将通过联合研究，文化和服务活动得到确保。该IRES项目的总体研究目标是通过实地学生研究经验，超越水和卫生领域的传统（主流）研究主题，共同解决马拉维的WASH研究差距。解决这些差距将增加在马拉维的WASH研究，增加目前的研究重点的层面，并帮助弥合公认的全国范围内的卫生和水相关的人力资源能力的差距。这项研究还将推动关于马拉维以外的有效WaSH方法的全球思维和议程。总体培训目标是为北卡罗来纳州立大学和路易斯维尔大学的学生提供变革性的研究经验，使毕业生能够：（1）从事跨学科思维，解决问题和研究WaSH;（2）具有全球意识和文化能力;（3）可以利用他们与不同社区合作的实地经验来开发适应环境的解决方案;以及（4）将通过整体透镜来看待这些解决方案，考虑其研究的公平性、可持续性和长期利益和影响。我们将通过以下方式实现这些目标：（1）共同设计的研究活动（2）以学习成果为重点的个人和集体培训;（3）与马拉维的同龄人合作，为IRES学生开展文化活动和服务学习项目;以及（4）一个持续的监测和评估计划，将提供总结性和形成性评估。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得支持的，通过评估使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准。