Partnerships for Competitiveness: Cyber-enabling Primarily Undergraduate Institutions

摘要提案编号：EPS - 1006743提案标题：竞争力伙伴关系：网络支持主要本科机构机构：南达科他州立大学项目主任：James A. rice该奖项根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助。研究、教育和经济发展（REED）网络倡议提供南达科他州北部网络项目的一部分，并将SD的公立、私立和部落校园，美国地质调查局的地球资源观测和科学（EROS）数据中心，桑福德地下科学与工程实验室（SUSEL）和深地下科学与工程实验室（DUSEL）相互连接和国家研究网格。该项目提出对南达科他州四所大学的网络基础设施（CI）进行升级：奥古斯塔纳学院（AC）、Sinte Gleska大学（SGU）、奥格拉拉·拉科塔学院（OLC）和Sisseton Wahpeton学院（SWC）。这些升级将使这些机构能够访问各自校园的网络基础设施，加强教育和研究。这四所大学主要是本科院校，另外三所（OLC、SGU、SWC）是部落学院和大学（tcu）。奥古斯塔纳学院是一所小型机构，在吸引和留住第一代大学生方面有着悠久的历史。对这些机构的投资应对这些机构的研究、教育和文化产生显著影响。由于南达科他州校园之间的距离很远，甚至单个校园内的距离也很远，这项CI投资应该能够实现全州范围内的课程共享、视频会议，以及更容易获得州立大学的研究和教育资源。它还应加强合作和外联能力，并提供更多来自全球各地的人员、知识、科学研究和教育。南达科他州（SD） RII C2投资应该为目前在各自校园获得独立研究机会有限的学生提供获得本科研究经验的机会。建议这些学生参与原创性研究，与南达科他州和世界各地的主要研究机构合作，跨越广泛的研究领域。与全州、全国和世界各地的科学家进行沟通、合作和互动的能力，将使这些教师和学生能够探索迄今为止不可能的主题。新的学习活动和通过拟议的数字连接共享这些活动的模式应该有助于建立新的概念和最佳实践，以建立合作研究和教育活动。同样重要的是，这些学院为研究界带来了新的想法，比如从自然环境及其与这些主要的美洲原住民社区文化的关系的研究中产生的发现。该项目主要影响的四个机构代表了南达科他州公民的丰富多样性。充分参与SD的EPSCoR项目的能力应该扩大南达科他州EPSCoR项目的机构多样性。部落学院的学生来自一个部落，在主要研究机构的学生中只占很小的一部分。为了鼓励这些学生考虑STEM职业，需要进入更大的科学社区进行合作研究调查，并实现对自己的才能和贡献能力的信心。从这些经验中，应该实现更大程度的信任和对其能力的确认。其目的是为学生提供机会，培养他们在STEM职业道路上投入生命的能力、兴趣和热情。

AbstractProposal Number: EPS - 1006743Proposal Title: Partnerships for Competitiveness: Cyber-Enabling Primarily Undergraduate InstitutionsInstitution: South Dakota State UniversityProject Director: James A. RiceThis award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).The Research, Education and Economic Development (REED) network initiative provides South Dakota's portion of the Northern Tier networking project and connects SD's public, private and tribal campuses, the US Geological Survey's Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Data Center, the Sanford Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory (SUSEL), and the Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory (DUSEL) to each other and the national research grid.This project proposes an upgrade to the cyberinfrastructure (CI) for four South Dakota institutions: Augustana College (AC), Sinte Gleska University (SGU), Oglala Lakota College (OLC), and Sisseton Wahpeton College (SWC). The upgrades would provide these institutions with access to cyberinfrastructure, educational and research enhancements on their respective campuses. These four institutions are predominantly undergraduate institutions and three (OLC, SGU, SWC) are tribal colleges and universities (TCUs). Augustana College is a small institution with a rich history of attracting and retaining first-generation college students. The investment in these institutions should have a pronounced impact on the research, education and culture of these institutions. Motivated by the very large distances between these South Dakota campuses, and even the large distances within an individual campus, this CI investment should enable state-wide course sharing, videoconferencing, and easier access to the research and educational resources of the state universities. It should also enhance collaborations, outreach capacity and provide greater access to people, knowledge and scientific research and education from across the globe. Intellectual Merit The South Dakota (SD) RII C2 investment should provide access to undergraduate research experiences to students who currently have limited access to independent research opportunities on their respective campuses. It is proposed that these students participate in original research, spanning a broad range of research areas in collaboration with major research institutions in South Dakota and throughout the world. The ability to communicate, collaborate and interact with scientists across the state, the nation and the world, will enable these faculty and students to explore subjects heretofore not possible. New learning activities and the modes of sharing these activities across the proposed digital connection should serve to establish novel concepts and best practices for building collaborative research and educational activities. Equally important are the new ideas these colleges bring to the research communities, such as discoveries arising from studies of the natural environment and their relationship to the culture of these primarily Native American communities.Broader Impact The four institutions primarily impacted in this project are representative of the rich diversity of the citizens of South Dakota. The ability to fully participate in SD's EPSCoR programs should broaden the institutional diversity of the South Dakota EPSCoR program. The Tribal College students come from a tribal heritage that represents a very small fraction of the students at major research institutions. To encourage these students to consider STEM careers, access to the larger scientific community is needed for collaborative research investigations and to realize confidence in their own talent and ability to contribute. From these experiences, a greater degree of confidence and the validation of their capabilities should be realized. The intent is to provide the opportunity for students to develop the capability, interest, and enthusiasm to invest their lives in a STEM career path.