REU Site: Multidisciplinary Data Integration Training for Globally Engaged Undergraduates

该项目由SBE理事会的本科生研究经验（REU）站点计划资助。因此，它具有科学效益和社会效益，并将研究和教育结合起来。该REU网站授予西华盛顿大学的奖项将在三年的项目期间支持培训30名学生，为期17周。学生将学习社会科学方面的高级统计和人口培训，并将他们的培训应用于与卢旺达国家统计研究所合作产生的原始研究项目。REU项目为本科生提供了一种体验，这是他们在自己的学校通常无法获得的。鼓励主要来自本科院校和代表性不足群体的学生申请。主要目标是在跨文化和多学科的学习环境中培养社会科学本科生的研究方法。这个REU网站帮助社会科学专业的学生学习良好科学的基本概念，培养数据管理技能，收集原始数据，得出独立结论，指导后续队列，并与专业受众分享他们的发现和数据，这些受众可以从学生的研究中受益。这个REU还提供了一个独特的机会，为一个国家更大范围地关注健康、能力建设和经济发展贡献研究成果。学生们与pi、卢旺达同事和NISR工作人员合作，创建和管理与负责生殖健康的利益攸关方的定性实地访谈。研究要考察的问题是，在性别、年龄、地区、教育程度和家庭状况的基础上，确定的需求是否存在差异。学生们还可以利用在基加利的NISR工作人员收集的现有定量数据，并学习如何根据国际标准记录数据。学生研究有助于研究按地区、城乡居住、教育和财富划分的生殖健康指标变化的差异。REU网站的参与者利用NISR数据探索其他问题，特别关注儿童健康和营养。美国国家科学基金会国际科学与工程办公室共同资助了这个项目。

This project is funded from the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Sites program in the SBE Directorate. As such, it has both scientific and societal benefits, and it integrates research and education. This REU Site award to Western Washington University will support the training of 30 students over a 17-week program during the three years of program duration. Students will learn advanced statistical and demographic training in the social sciences, and apply their training to original research projects generated in collaboration with the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda. The REU program provides an experience to undergraduate students that is typically not available to them at their home institutions. Students from primarily undergraduate colleges and universities and from underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. The primary objective is to train social science undergraduates in research methodology in a cross-cultural and multi-disciplinary learning environment. This REU site helps social science students learn the basic concepts of good science, develop data management skills, collect original data, reach independent conclusions, mentor subsequent cohorts, and share their findings and data with professional audiences that could benefit from student research. This REU also provides a unique opportunity to contribute research findings to a nation's larger focus on health, capacity building, and economic advancement. Students work with the PIs, Rwandan colleagues, and the NISR staff to create and administer qualitative field interviews with stakeholders responsible for reproductive health. The research question to examine is whether there is variation in identified needs based on gender, age, region, education, and family status. Students also utilize existing quantitative data collected by the NISR staff in Kigali and learn how to document data in compliance with international standards. Student research contributes to studies on the differences in change in reproductive health indicators by region, urban/rural residence, education, and wealth. The REU Site participants explore additional questions utilizing NISR data, with a particular focus on child health and nutrition. The NSF Office of International Science and Engineering has co-funded this project.