Targeted Infusion Project: Collaborative Science Initiative (CSI) Delaware

历史上的黑人学院和大学本科生计划（HBCU-UP）通过有针对性的输液项目支持开发，实施和基于证据的创新模式和方法的研究，以提高HBCU本科生的准备和成功，使他们可以追求科学，技术，工程或数学（STEM）研究生课程和/或职业。该项目在特拉华州州立大学旨在通过加强法医生物学计划和实现法医科学教育计划认证委员会的认证，加强大学的能力，以招聘，留住和毕业的STEM代表性不足的学生。该项目的目标是：增加法医生物学课程的入学人数和毕业人数;提高即将毕业的高年级学生进入STEM研究生课程或STEM劳动力队伍的就业率;增加选择法医学辅修专业的刑事司法专业学生的人数。该项目将修订和升级法医生物学课程和课程，增加与法医科学实验室和专业组织在地方，州和联邦一级的合作努力，并制定可持续的实习和指导计划，以提高学生保留和安置到研究生课程和毕业后的职业生涯。评估计划包括一项研究，这是定性和定量的，对法医生物学专业学生和法医学辅修学生的轨迹，以确定学生在完成学位过程中面临的障碍，并把结构到位，以解决这些问题，从而提高保留，该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响进行评估，被认为值得支持审查标准。

The Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) through Targeted Infusion Projects supports the development, implementation, and study of evidence-based innovative models and approaches for improving the preparation and success of HBCU undergraduate students so that they may pursue science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) graduate programs and/or careers. The project at Delaware State University seeks to strengthen the university's ability to recruit, retain, and graduate underrepresented students in STEM by strengthening the forensic biology program and achieving accreditation by the Forensic Science Education Program Accreditation Commission. Outreach activities to high school students and community members are part of the project.This project has the objectives to: grow the number of students enrolled in and graduating from the forensic biology program; improve the placement rates of graduating seniors into STEM graduate programs or the STEM workforce; and increase the number of criminal justice majors who choose a forensic science minor. This project will revise and upgrade the forensic biology courses and curriculum, increase collaborative efforts with forensic science laboratories and professional organizations at the local, state, and federal level, and develop sustainable internship and mentoring programs to improve student retention and placement into graduate programs and careers post-graduation. The evaluation plan includes a study, that is both qualitative and quantitative, on the trajectories of students majoring in forensic biology and those minoring in forensic science, to identify hurdles that students face during degree completion, and, to put structures in place to address them, thereby improving retention, and degree completion rates.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.