Collaborative Research: EPIIC:Increasing our Innovation SCOREs: Symbiotic Collaboration of Regional Ecosystems

这是一个跨以下机构的合作项目：西雅图大学、加州保利洪堡州立大学、圣弗朗西斯大学、圣玛丽大学和犹他理工大学。EPIIC奖旨在以一种以队列为基础的模式建立一个创新生态系统，该模式主要是为本科院校(PUI)设计的。这一群体包括一系列不同的机构，这些机构的人口结构、规模、任务和地点各不相同。该项目的主要目标有两个：(1)在队列机构内发展创新能力；(2)集体建立最佳做法，并为PUI培育一个创新社区。这一区域生态系统包括几个农村机构，其中许多机构面向低收入和第一代学生，而另一些机构则在STEM领域拥有大量历史上代表性不足的学生。这群人坚定地致力于实施体制改革，以扩大在各自区域获得需要高级技能的职业机会的机会。总体目标是在各成员之间培养一种互利关系，使每个机构能够在区域经济中发挥更大的作用。该奖项的目的是建立一个区域生态系统共生合作(SCORE)队列，引入一种创新的方法来增强STEM的创新能力。这种方法源于该群体以本科生为重点的使命，以及对学生和他们所服务的社区的强烈重视。拟议的项目设想了一种以社区为基础的方法，促进在创新和伙伴关系的各个方面发展最佳做法，包括劳动力发展、体验式学习、研究和创新、行业伙伴关系、投资者、创业和监管问题。作为一个实践社区，主要由本科生组成的机构将共同协作、学习和成长，同时将包容性卓越的价值观作为该项目的核心方面。该群体将产生的最大集体影响将来自于服务于地区经济和社区需求的能力的增强，以及扩大机构能力，为学生提供进入先进的、快速发展的STEM劳动力的途径。这个基于队列的学习社区对创新的更广泛影响将导致创新能力的基础设施、持续的合作、增强STEM员工的创新能力，以及为全国范围内的PUI开发模型和最佳实践。该奖项反映了NSF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。

This is a collaborative project across the following institutions: Seattle University, Cal Poly Humboldt State University, St. Francis University, St. Mary’s University, and Utah Tech University. The EPIIC award is to establish an innovation ecosystem in a cohort-based model specifically designed for primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs). The cohort comprises a diverse range of institutions with varying demographics, sizes, missions, and locations. The primary goals of this project are twofold: (1) to develop innovation capacity within the cohort institutions and (2) to collectively establish best practices and foster a community of innovation for PUIs. This regional ecosystem encompasses several rural institutions, many of which cater to low-income and first-generation students, while others have a significant representation of historically underrepresented students in STEM fields. The cohort is deeply committed to implementing institutional changes that expand access to career opportunities requiring advanced skills in their respective regions. The overarching aim is to cultivate a mutually beneficial relationship among the cohort members, empowering each institution to play an expanded role within the regional economy. The award's purpose is to establish a Symbiotic Collaboration for Regional Ecosystem (SCORE) cohort, which introduces an innovative approach to enhancing STEM innovation capacity. This approach stems from the cohort's undergraduate-focused mission and its strong emphasis on students and the communities they serve. The proposed project envisions a community-based approach, fostering the development of best practices in various aspects of innovation and partnerships, including workforce development, experiential learning, research and innovation, industry partnerships, investors, entrepreneurship, and regulatory issues. Operating as a community of practice, the cohort of primarily undergraduate institutions will collaborate, learn, and grow together while upholding the values of inclusive excellence as a central aspect of the project. The greatest collective impact the cohort will have will come from the increased capacity to serve the regions’ economic and community needs and to expand institutional capacity to provide access for students into an advanced, quickly evolving STEM workforce. A broader impact of this cohort-based learning community for innovation will result in infrastructure for innovation capacity, continued collaborations, enhancing innovation capacity for the STEM workforce, and developing models and best practices for PUIs nationwide.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.