RCN-UBE: Connecting Curriculum: A Fly-CURE Network

该项目的目标是创建一个研究协调网络(RCN)，以连接新的基于课程的本科生研究经验(CURE)，这些经验是遗传学实验室治疗的扩展，称为苍蝇治疗。苍蝇治疗RCN将作为一个集中中心，培训本科生四种新的治疗方法，包括按需课程主题：生物信息学、行为遗传学、分子生物学和发育生物学。这些疗法的创建不仅将加强现有的关于基因与生长和发育之间关系的科学知识库，而且还将增加学生对跨生物学子学科的研究的参与。CURES允许学生参与实践和基于探究的研究，从而提高他们的批判性思维能力、学习成果和对科学的归属感。这些新的治疗方法还将包括学生主导的以社区为基础的服务学习机会，向年轻学习者介绍科学发现，进一步促进学生在STEM中的坚持不懈，并为他们未来的科学生涯做好准备。对于教职员工来说，苍蝇治疗RCN将提供机会积极参与和发表科学研究，并与共享的科学社区建立联系，这在资源不足的机构尤其具有挑战性，包括社区大学、少数族裔服务机构，以及主要是本科院校。苍蝇治疗RCN的第一个目标是开发四种新的治疗方法，每种方法都旨在让本科生参与分析在原始遗传学苍蝇治疗中发现的黑腹果蝇突变基因，使用不同的学科方法。该RCN将通过针对社区学院、少数族裔服务机构以及主要是本科生机构的教师来增加实施治疗的教师数量。苍蝇治愈RCN的第二个目标是培养一个教师参与者的科学社区，并评估这种方法在从代表性不足的群体中招聘教师、职业生涯早期教师以及从一系列机构类型中招聘教师方面是否有效。到目前为止，苍蝇疗法成功地留住了教师，并为参与者的职业发展做出了贡献。考虑到小型机构通常可获得的资源和研究支持有限，该项目通过整个网络的专业发展和协作互动，为教师参与成功的治疗提供所需的科学培训和同行支持。该项目由生物科学局生物基础设施司和STEM教育局本科生教育司共同资助，作为他们应对《本科生物学教育的愿景与变革：行动呼吁》中提出的挑战的努力的一部分(http://visionandchange/finalreport/).This奖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。

The goal of this project is to create a Research Coordination Network (RCN) to connect new Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) that are expansions of a genetics laboratory CURE, called Fly-CURE. The Fly-CURE RCN will act as a centralized hub for training undergraduates in four new CUREs encompassing in-demand curricular topics: Bioinformatics, Behavioral Genetics, Molecular Biology, and Developmental Biology. The creation of these CUREs will not only bolster the existing scientific knowledge base regarding the relationship between genes and growth and development, but also increase student participation in research across biological sub-disciplines. CUREs allow students to participate in hands-on and inquiry-based research which increase their critical thinking skills, learning gains, and sense of belonging in science. These new CUREs will also include student-led community-based service learning opportunities to introduce scientific discovery to young learners to further promote student persistence in STEM and prepare them for future scientific careers. For faculty, the Fly-CURE RCN will provide opportunities to actively engage in and publish scientific research and connect with a shared scientific community which is especially challenging at under-resourced institutions including community colleges, minority-serving institutions, and primarily undergraduate institutions.The first goal of the Fly-CURE RCN is to develop four new CUREs, each designed to involve undergraduate students in the analysis of Drosophila melanogaster mutants, discovered in the original genetics Fly-CURE, using different disciplinary approaches. This RCN will increase the number of faculty implementing CUREs by targeting faculty at community colleges, minority-serving institutions, and primarily undergraduate institutions. The second goal of Fly-CURE RCN is to foster a scientific community of faculty participants and assess whether this approach is effective at recruiting faculty from underrepresented groups, early-career faculty, and faculty from an array of institutional types. The Fly-CURE has successfully retained faculty thus far and has contributed to the professional advancement of participants. Considering the limited resources and research support often available at smaller institutions, this project provides the scientific training and peer support needed for faculty involvement in successful CUREs through professional development and collaborative interactions across the network. This project is being jointly funded by the Directorate for Biological Sciences, Division of Biological Infrastructure, and the Directorate for STEM Education, 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/).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.