Virginia Union University Community, Culture, Research Scholarship Program

在美国国家科学基金会科学、技术、工程和数学奖学金（S-STEM）计划的资助下，该项目将招募、选择并向弗吉尼亚联合大学自然科学系（DNS）有学术天赋的低收入本科生颁发25份奖学金。除了获得奖学金支持外，学生还将参加各种课程和课外活动，这些活动已被证明能有效提高学生的保留率和毕业率。该项目旨在培养VUU毕业生，让他们更清楚地认识到，通过应用STEM研究，他们可以为改善社区和世界的生活做出贡献。由于VUU是一所历史上的黑人学院或大学（HBCU），该项目的成功也可能增加科学社区的多样性水平，加强不同社区之间的联系，并利用科学作为解决社区问题的工具。该项目将采用基于证据的实践来保留STEM，以展示STEM教育和研究如何与学者的兴趣、目标和价值观保持一致。这些实践包括学生参与本科研究，通过促进和管理队列经验来融入社会，以及同伴辅导。一项关键活动将包括让VUU的学者参与研究项目，同时教授研究技术，做出科学贡献，并解决学生所重视的社会或社区问题。帮助学生培养主人主人感，培养他们意识到STEM作为一种工具的重要性，并将其应用于他们所关心的问题，这将丰富他们的学术经验。此外，该项目将扩大对小型文科机构的学术课程如何帮助代表性不足的低收入STEM学生成为成功毕业生的理解。特别是，领导该项目的教师团队将收集有关学者表现的定性数据（如学生访谈）和定量数据（如平均成绩、完成重点课程的时间、自我效能感测量、坚持度测量等）。这些数据将有助于维也纳大学的主要研究人员产生和传播有关项目活动影响的知识。从这个项目中收集的数据将作为建议的依据，使项目机构的项目活动制度化和扩大。此外，项目研究结果将对其他小型文科院校有才华的代表性不足的本科STEM学生的教育和准备产生影响。

With funding from the National Science Foundation's Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (S-STEM) program, this project will recruit, select, and award 25 scholarships to academically talented low-income undergraduate students in the Department of Natural Science (DNS) at Virginia Union University (VUU). Beyond receiving scholarship support the students will participate in a variety of curricular and co-curricular activities that have proven effective at increasing student retention and graduation rates. The project aims to produce VUU graduates with a greater sense of the contributions they can make to improve life in their communities and the world through the application of STEM research. Since VUU is a Historically Black College or University (HBCU), the success of the project will likely also increase the level of diversity in the scientific community and enhance the connection between diverse communities and the use of science as a tool to solve community issues.The project will adapt evidence-based practices for STEM retention to demonstrate how STEM education and research can align with the interests, goals, and values of the scholars. Such practices include student involvement in undergraduate research, social integration through promotion and management of cohort experiences, and peer tutoring. A key activity will involve engaging scholars at VUU in research projects that simultaneously teach research techniques, make a scientific contribution, and address a social or community concern that is valued by the student. Helping prepare students to exhibit a sense of ownership and develop an awareness of the importance of STEM as a tool, applicable to issues of their concern, will enrich their academic experience. Moreover, the project will expand upon the understanding of how academic programs at small liberal arts institutions can help underrepresented low-income STEM students become successful graduates. In particular, the faculty team leading the project will collect qualitative data (e.g. student interviews) and quantitative data (e.g. grade-point averages, time-to-completion for key courses, self-efficacy measures, persistence measures, etc.) regarding the performance of the scholars. Such data will help the principal investigators (PIs) at VUU generate and disseminate knowledge concerning the impact of project activities. The data gathered from this project will inform recommendations for institutionalization and expansion of project activities at the PIs' institution. In addition, project findings will have implications for education and preparation of talented underrepresented undergraduate STEM students at other small liberal arts institutions.