Collaborative Research: Partnership Pathways to Improve the Professional Preparation of Low-Income Students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics in Minnesota

该项目将有助于对受过良好教育的科学家，数学家，工程师和技术人员的国家需要，通过支持高成就，低收入的学生在奥格斯堡大学，世纪学院，明尼阿波利斯学院和诺曼代尔社区学院证明经济需要的保留和毕业。这些本科院校为48-67%的佩尔合格学生和40-62%的有色人种学生提供服务。在5年内，该项目将资助奖学金，并为195名正在攻读生物学，化学，计算机科学，工程，食品科学，数学和物理学学士学位的独特的全日制和兼职学生提供研究机会。该项目将在三所社区学院招募，保留和支持三个2年制学者群体，他们将进入明尼苏达州STEM转学途径，从而进入学士学位STEM课程。该项目还将在奥格斯堡大学招募，保留和支持一个为期4年的学者群体，从高级STEM课程开始，完成学位并过渡到STEM劳动力或研究生教育。该项目建立在成功策略的基础上，旨在让学生尽早接触本科研究和实习经验，并通过跨机构合作伙伴关系以及与劳动力发展计划的合作伙伴关系支持学生专业发展。该项目的总体目标是增加低收入、中等收入成绩优异的本科STEM学者，并证明有经济需求。该项目建立在关于指导和其他高影响力实践（HIP）的重要性和价值的既定理论基础上，例如参与本科生研究和实习。它还认识到，在社区学院开始学术生涯的学生中有很大的天赋和潜力。学者将通过SciTech，UpTurnships，MnDRIVE和奥格斯堡大学的本科研究计划与实习和研究经验联系起来。教师导师的专业发展和研究指导经验改善中心（CIMER）的评估将提供数据，以开发有关机构和跨机构因素如何影响不同社会身份的学生和导师的新知识。知识生成和评估利用CIMER评估平台，文化智力量表，HIP质量和公平措施，以及其他跟踪转移的机构指标。该项目由NSF的科学，技术，工程和数学奖学金计划资助，该计划旨在增加低收入学术人才的数量，这些学生表现出经济需求，并获得STEM领域的学位。它还旨在改善未来STEM工作者的教育，并产生关于低收入学生的学术成功，保留，转移，毕业和学术/职业道路的知识。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project will contribute to the national need for well-educated scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and technicians by supporting the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low-income students with demonstrated financial need at Augsburg University, Century College, Minneapolis College, and Normandale Community College. These undergraduate institutions serve populations that are 48-67% Pell-eligible and 40-62% students of color. Over 5 years, this project will fund scholarships and provide research opportunities for 195 unique full-time and part-time students who are pursuing bachelor’s degrees in Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Food Science, Mathematics, and Physics. The project will recruit, retain, and support three 2-year scholar cohorts at the three community colleges who will enter a Minnesota STEM Transfer pathway leading to admission to a baccalaureate STEM program. The project will also recruit, retain, and support a 4-year scholar cohort at Augsburg University beginning at the start of upper-level STEM coursework leading to degree completion and transition to the STEM workforce or graduate education. This project builds on successful strategies for achieving early exposure to undergraduate research and internship experiences for students and supporting student professional development through cross-institutional partnerships, as well as partnership with workforce development programs.The overall goal of this project is to increase recruitment, retention, transfer, student success, graduation, and entry to the STEM workforce of low-income, high-achieving undergraduate STEM scholars with demonstrated financial need. The project builds on established theories regarding the importance and value of mentoring and other high impact practices (HIPs) such as involvement in undergraduate research and internships. It also recognizes that there is great talent and potential among students who begin their academic careers at community colleges. Scholars will be connected to internships and research experiences through SciTech, UpTurnships, MnDRIVE, and Augsburg University’s undergraduate research programs. Professional development for faculty mentors and assessment from the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER) will provide data to develop new knowledge about how institutional and cross-institutional factors affect students and mentors across different social identities. Knowledge generation and evaluation utilizes the CIMER Assessment Platform, the Cultural Intelligence Scale, HIP quality and equity measures, and other institutional metrics for tracking transfers. This project is funded by NSF’s Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics program, which seeks to increase the number of low-income academically talented students with demonstrated financial need who earn degrees in STEM fields. It also aims to improve the education of future STEM workers, and to generate knowledge about academic success, retention, transfer, graduation, and academic/career pathways of low-income students.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.