Track 1: Creating a Diversity Climate Network (D-ClimNet) to enhance the climate sciences pipeline of minority students from high school to graduate levels

该奖项是根据2009年《美国复苏和再投资法案》(公法111-5)提供资金的。气候多样性网络代表了佛蒙特州大学(UVM)、加州大学洛杉矶分校(UCLA)和佐治亚大学(UGA)之间的一种新的国家合作伙伴关系，以创建从高中到研究生学位水平的代表不足的学生的渠道。该网络的独特之处在于，它侧重于气候科学，并致力于培训下一代种族和性别多元化的气候科学家，明确侧重于气候学、气候变化和气候政策。学生将从纽约市、洛杉矶和佐治亚州的农村和城市地区招收。这项为期三年的试点研究将使用对从九年级到研究生学习的地球科学学生的纵向跟踪，以确定在气候科学领域招收和留住学生的最佳做法，许多人数不足的学生认为这不是一个可行的职业选择。除了获得气候科学的学术内容外，参与的学生还将通过电子研讨会与三个校区的教职员工和其他学生互动，并在地区会议上展示他们的研究成果。D-气候网具有变革性的一个方面是，它参与了促进学生学习和学术成功所需的支助系统。这将采取在参与的高中的周末气候日的形式，以及允许高中教师参与PI的NSF资助的卫星、天气和气候计划，在那里他们将获得气候内容知识，以影响他们的课程中的变化。最后，四名PI中有三名是非裔美国中高级职业科学家，他们将担任导师和榜样。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The Diversity Climate Network (D-ClimNet) represents a new national partnership among the University of Vermont (UVM), the University of California - Los Angles (UCLA) and the University of Georgia (UGA) to create a pipeline of under-represented students from the high school to graduate degree levels. The network is unique in its focus on the climate sciences as well as its commitment to training the next generation of racially and gender diverse climate scientists with an explicit focus on climatology, climate change, and climate policy. Students will be recruited from the rural and urban areas of New York City, Los Angeles and Georgia. The three-year pilot study will use longitudinal tracking of Earth Science students from Grade 9 through graduate studies to pinpoint best practices for student recruitment and retention in the climate sciences, which many under-represented students do not view as a viable career option. In addition to receiving climate science academic content, participating students will also interact with faculty and other students across the three campuses via electronic workshops and present their research at regional conferences. One of the transformative aspects of the D-ClimNet is its involvement of the support system needed to facilitate student learning and academic success. This will take the form of Climate Days on weekends at participating high schools as well as allowing high school teachers to participate in the PI's NSF-funded Satellites, Weather and Climate program, where they will gain climate content knowledge to effect change in their curricula. Finally, three of the four PIs are African-American mid-senior career scientists who will serve as mentors and role models.