Expanding Hands-On Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Experience for Diverse Student Populations

为不同的学生群体拓展生物技术和生物制造的实践经验

• 批准号: 2300800
• 负责人: Terri Quenzer
• 金额: $ 65万
• 依托单位: MiraCosta College
• 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: 2023-10-01 至 2026-09-30
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2300800&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Expanding; Hands; Biotechnology; Biomanufacturing; Experience

This project aims to promote awareness of Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing career pathways for diverse, underrepresented community college and high school students. The BioSCOPE (Bioscience Supply Chain Operations Projects for Education) model provides students with project-based activities to learn about biomanufacturing and gain hands-on, industry-relevant skills by producing laboratory reagents and consumables compliant with industry quality standards and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP). Products are typically components of laboratory kits that are packaged and distributed to high schools for use by biology and biotechnology students. This is important because connections established between community colleges and high schools create awareness and pathways for students from high schools to enter community college bioscience courses and programs. The project provides students with hands-on experience that prepares them for entry-level employment in livable-wage jobs with upward mobility. Fear of science is a barrier for many students, including those who are underserved and underrepresented in their participation in the pursuit of such careers, as many falsely believe a career in life sciences requires an advanced degree. BioSCOPE removes this barrier and helps students that like to work with their hands by giving them experience that introduces them to opportunities for a rewarding career in life sciences. These student populations benefit by entering rewarding, high-paying careers, and industry benefits by gaining an inclusive, diverse, and skilled workforce. This project is a collaboration between the Bioscience Workforce Development Hub at MiraCosta College, the Bay Area Bioscience Education Community (BABEC), and Laney College, and includes partners throughout California from community colleges, the Bioscience industry, state industry trade associations, workforce development organizations, and related NSF ATE project PIs. The project specifically aims to train community college biotechnology faculty to equitably implement BioSCOPE activities, create a pipeline for enrollment in biotechnology at community colleges by increasing awareness and providing hands-on experience in biotechnology through doing BioSCOPE activities, and provide mentorship to prepare diverse, underrepresented community college students for careers in Biomanufacturing. These students are often not aware of Biotech or of the accessible high-wage careers Biotech can provide that suit their interests, talents, and skills. The project personnel aim to learn if the project builds awareness of Biotech, whether it bolsters a pipeline of students into community college Biotech programs, and how it impacts students getting industry internships and jobs. Participating community college faculty will be surveyed to track the frequency of BioSCOPE activities implemented, the number of students that participate in BioSCOPE, who continues on to industry internships or jobs, and the number of students that enroll in community college Biotech courses from partner high schools. By expanding knowledge and understanding of Biotech and Biomanufacturing among a diverse population of historically underserved students, the project aims to prepare them for growth and innovation within an industry that provides solutions for many global challenges that impact both health and environmental issues. The findings of this work will be disseminated in California and nationally through websites, social media, in-person and virtual trainings, state and national presentations at conferences and industry advisory meetings. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced technology fields that drive the nation's economy.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.

该项目旨在促进对生物技术和生物制造职业途径的认识，为多样化，代表性不足的社区大学和高中学生。BioSCOPE（生物科学供应链运营教育项目）模型为学生提供基于项目的活动，通过生产符合行业质量标准和良好生产规范的实验室试剂和消耗品，了解生物制造并获得实际操作的行业相关技能。规范（GMP）。产品通常是实验室套件的组成部分，这些套件被包装并分发给高中生物学和生物技术学生使用。这很重要，因为社区学院和高中之间建立的联系为高中学生进入社区学院生物科学课程和计划创造了意识和途径。该项目为学生提供实践经验，使他们为从事有收入的工作做好准备。对科学的恐惧是许多学生的障碍，包括那些在追求这些职业时服务不足和代表性不足的学生，因为许多人错误地认为生命科学的职业需要高等学位。BioSCOPE消除了这一障碍，并帮助学生喜欢用自己的双手工作，给他们的经验，介绍他们的机会，在生命科学有价值的职业生涯。这些学生群体通过进入有价值的高薪职业而受益，通过获得包容性，多样性和熟练的劳动力而受益。 该项目是MiraCosta学院生物科学劳动力发展中心，湾区生物科学教育社区（BABEC）和Laney学院之间的合作，包括来自社区学院，生物科学行业，州行业贸易协会，劳动力发展组织和相关NSF ATE项目PI的整个加州的合作伙伴。该项目的具体目标是培训社区学院生物技术教师公平地实施BioSCOPE活动，通过提高认识和通过做BioSCOPE活动提供生物技术方面的实践经验，为社区学院的生物技术招生创建一个管道，并提供指导，为多样化，代表性不足的社区学院学生在生物制造业的职业生涯做准备。这些学生往往不知道生物技术或生物技术可以提供适合他们的兴趣，才能和技能的高工资职业。项目人员的目标是了解该项目是否建立了对生物技术的认识，它是否支持学生进入社区学院生物技术课程的管道，以及它如何影响学生获得行业实习和工作。参与社区学院的教师将接受调查，以跟踪实施的BioSCOPE活动的频率，参加BioSCOPE的学生人数，他们继续参加行业实习或工作，以及从合作伙伴高中报名参加社区学院生物技术课程的学生人数。通过扩大历史上服务不足的学生的多样化人口中的生物技术和生物制造的知识和理解，该项目旨在为他们在一个为许多影响健康和环境问题的全球挑战提供解决方案的行业内的增长和创新做好准备。这项工作的结果将在加州和全国通过网站，社交媒体，面对面和虚拟培训，在会议和行业咨询会议上的州和国家演讲进行传播。该项目由先进技术教育计划资助，该计划侧重于推动国家经济的先进技术领域的技术人员的教育。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。