Elizabeth City State University Support Program for Academic and Research Enhance

描述（由申请人提供）：伊丽莎白市立大学（ECSU）超过75%的学生来自北卡罗来纳州东北部的21个县（NENC）。NENC的公民是受教育程度最低、技能最低、最贫困的人。人口是农村、少数民族和穷人。其中一个县哈利法克斯的人均个人收入为13,810美元，而该州的人均收入为30,000美元。（北卡罗来纳州2000年人口普查）大约19.4%的家庭和23.9%的人口处于贫困线以下。因为我们的大多数学生来自贫困和农村社区，他们大多是第一代大学新生，没有学术或科学上的榜样。因此，他们没有动力去追求更高的学位。因此，生物、化学、物理、心理学和数学专业的学生很少攻读生物医学/行为科学的博士学位。伊丽莎白市州立大学学术和研究增强支持计划（E- SPARE）项目旨在帮助本科生在他们的科学学科内发展能力；对自己的能力有信心，对实验室或课堂内外的挑战有弹性；以及领导能力。该计划分为低年级和高年级，将通过精心设计的课外活动提供强大的科学课程，使参与者参与科学和研究事业。这些活动包括：(1)在ECSU和研究密集型机构获得外部资助的教师指导下的研究机会；(2)参加同时进行的补充指导以提高专业成就；(3)特别研讨会和激励研讨会；(3)当面的学术和职业咨询；(4)通过E-SPARE参与者与科学教师、成功的ECSU学生/校友和杰出的访问科学家的刻意互动建立网络；(5)参加生物医学科学系列研讨会、研讨会和科研竞赛，(6)在国家科学专题讨论会上发表论文，(7)在生物医学科学期刊上发表论文，(8)参加使每个参与者在被美国强大的博士项目录取时具有很强竞争力的活动。在为期4年的资助期内，共有56名参与者将被招募，其中第一年有8名参与者，随后几年有16名参与者。预期结果：至少49人（75%）将被硕士/博士课程录取；28人（50%）在ECSU毕业后进入竞争激烈的硕士/博士课程。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Over 75% of students at Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) come from the 21 Northeast North Carolina Counties (NENC). The citizens of NENC are among the least educated, least skilled and most impoverished. The population is rural, minority, and poor. The per capita personal income of one these counties, Halifax, is $13,810 while the state average per capita income is $30,000. (North Carolina 2000 Census) About 19.4% of families and 23.9% of the population were below the poverty line. Because the majority of our students come from the impoverished and rural community, they are largely first generation college freshmen with no academic or scientific role models. Consequently, they are not motivated to seek to pursue advanced degrees. Thus, low numbers of students in biology, chemistry, physics, psychology and mathematics pursue PhDs in the biomedical/behavioral sciences. The Elizabeth City State University Support Program for Academic and Research Enhancement (E- SPARE) project is designed to assist undergraduates develop competence within their science discipline; confidence in their abilities, resiliency to challenges in the laboratory or in and outside the classroom; and leadership skills. Divided into Lower and Upper Division Sections, the proposed program will provide a strong science curriculum enhanced by well-designed co-curricular activities that will engage participants in the scientific and the research enterprise. These activities include: (1) research opportunities under mentorship of faculty with externally funding at ECSU and research intensive institutions, (2) participation in concurrent supplemental instruction to enhance achievement in the major, (3) special workshops and motivational seminars, (3) in-your-face academic and career advisement, (4) networking through the deliberate interaction of E-SPARE participants with science faculty, successful ECSU students/alumni and prominent visiting scientists, (5) participation in biomedical science seminar series, workshops and scientific research bowl competitions, (6) presenting papers at national science symposia, (7) publishing papers at biomedical science journals, (8) engaging in activities that make each participant very competitive for acceptance into strong PhD programs in the USA. A total of 56 participants will be enrolled over the 4-year funding period with 8 participants in year one and 16 in subsequent years. Expected outcome: At least 49 (75%) will be accepted into MS/PhD programs; 28 (50%) enrolling in competitive MS/PhD programs after graduating from ECSU.