Field-based Undergraduate Training: Utilizing Research for Equity (FUTURE) in Biology

实地本科生培训：利用生物学研究实现公平（未来）

• 批准号: 2329523
• 负责人: Roxanne Beltran
• 金额: $ 124.88万
• 依托单位: University of California-Santa Cruz
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2024-01-01 至 2026-12-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2329523&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Field; based; Undergraduate; Training; Utilizing

Undergraduate field courses can be used as pedagogical tools in the curriculum to increase persistence in biology majors, especially for marginalized students. However, it is unclear how field courses should be designed and when they should be offered in the undergraduate curriculum to provide the most benefits to students. This project will recruit a cohort of 3 postdoctoral fellows who will lead qualitative and quantitative research on the benefits of field course design elements in three existing departmental initiatives at University of California- Santa Cruz (UCSC), a Hispanic-Serving Research Institution. Fellows’ discoveries will connect pieces of the puzzle to improve retention, equity, and student success in STEM, especially among marginalized students, through refinement and implementation of courses and internships during strategic curricular time points. Fellows will benefit intellectually, professionally, and socially in preparation for education research careers, and will provide role models for hundreds of graduate students who seek similar opportunities. By providing cohort- and community-based support for the fellows and building capacity for biology education research, this work will be of significance in empowering STEM talent and knowledge creation in higher education research. A major priority in higher education is to improve retention of students from marginalized groups and support them through admission to graduate school and employment in the expanding STEM workforce. Although field courses show promise for recruitment and persistence of marginalized undergraduate students, many questions remain about which design components are important to generate desired outcomes, and when in the undergraduate curriculum these opportunities should be offered. This project will build on existing strengths in equitable field-based teaching and diverse leadership to support 3 fellows to undertake research to improve field-based undergraduate training in the life sciences. This comprehensive support program for the Postdoc Fellows has the four goals: 1) Targeted recruitment, selection, and retention strategies including a professional development plan and identification of impactful, feasible projects; 2) Cultivating a community of practice in field teaching, education research, and diversity, equity, and inclusion to support success and networking; 3) Fostering connections outside the department and institution; and 4) Assessing and disseminating the program outcomes to turn knowledge into scalable solutions. By collaboratively designing and delivering a new field teaching program based on equity, safety, and cultural responsibility, the postdoc Fellows will transform the experiences of hundreds of undergraduate students and dozens of field course instructors. This project is supported by NSF’s STEM Education Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (STEM Ed PRF) Program with co-funding from the Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Program. The STEM Ed PRF Program aims to enhance the research knowledge, skills, and practices of recent doctorates in STEM, STEM education, education, and related disciplines to advance their preparation to engage in fundamental and applied research that advances knowledge within the field. The HSI Program supports projects that improve undergraduate STEM education and increase the rates of recruitment, retention and graduation of undergraduate STEM students at Hispanic-serving institutions.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.

本科实地课程可用作课程中的教学工具，以提高生物专业的持久性，特别是对边缘化学生。然而，目前尚不清楚应如何设计现场课程以及何时应在本科课程中提供这些课程，以便为学生提供最大的好处。该项目将招募一批3名博士后研究员，他们将领导对加州大学-圣克鲁斯（UCSC）的三个现有部门计划中实地课程设计元素的好处进行定性和定量研究。研究员的发现将连接拼图的碎片，以提高保留，公平和学生在干的成功，特别是在边缘化的学生，通过完善和实施的课程和实习在战略课程的时间点。研究员将受益于智力，专业和社会在教育研究事业的准备，并将提供榜样的数百名研究生谁寻求类似的机会。通过为研究员提供基于队列和社区的支持，并建立生物教育研究的能力，这项工作将在赋予STEM人才和高等教育研究中的知识创造方面具有重要意义。高等教育的一个主要优先事项是提高边缘化群体学生的保留率，并通过录取研究生和在不断扩大的STEM劳动力中就业来支持他们。虽然实地课程显示招聘和边缘化的本科生的持久性的承诺，许多问题仍然存在哪些设计组件是重要的，以产生预期的结果，以及在本科课程时，这些机会应该提供。该项目将利用公平的实地教学和多样化领导方面的现有优势，支持3名研究员开展研究，以改善生命科学领域的实地本科生培训。这个对博士后研究员的全面支持计划有四个目标：1）有针对性的招聘，选择和保留策略，包括专业发展计划和有影响力的，可行的项目的识别; 2）培养实践社区实地教学，教育研究，多样性，公平和包容性，以支持成功和网络; 3）促进部门和机构外的联系;评估和传播方案成果，将知识转化为可扩展的解决方案。通过合作设计和提供基于公平，安全和文化责任的新的实地教学计划，博士后研究员将改变数百名本科生和数十名实地课程讲师的经验。该项目由NSF的STEM教育博士后研究奖学金（STEM艾德PRF）计划支持，并由西班牙裔服务机构（HSI）计划共同资助。STEM艾德PRF计划旨在提高STEM，STEM教育，教育和相关学科的近期博士学位的研究知识，技能和实践，以促进他们准备从事基础和应用研究，促进该领域内的知识。HSI计划支持改善本科STEM教育并提高西班牙裔服务机构本科STEM学生的招聘，保留和毕业率的项目。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。