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

该项目将通过支持奥格斯堡大学、世纪学院、明尼阿波利斯学院和诺曼代尔社区学院证明有经济需求的高成就、低收入学生的留校和毕业，来促进国家对受过良好教育的科学家、数学家、工程师和技术人员的需求。这些本科院校服务于48-67%的佩尔合格学生和40%-62%的有色人种学生。该项目将在5年内为195名攻读生物、化学、计算机科学、工程、食品科学、数学和物理学士学位的全日制和兼职学生提供奖学金和研究机会。该项目将在三所社区学院招募、保留和支持三名两年制学者，他们将进入明尼苏达州STEM转学途径，最终进入学士学位STEM项目。该项目还将在奥格斯堡大学招聘、保留和支持一个为期4年的学者队列，从高级STEM课程开始，最终完成学位并过渡到STEM劳动力或研究生教育。该项目以成功的战略为基础，通过跨机构伙伴关系以及与劳动力发展计划的伙伴关系，为学生尽早接触本科研究和实习经验，并支持学生的专业发展。该项目的总体目标是增加招聘、留住、转移、学生成功、毕业和进入STEM劳动力大军，这些学生是低收入、高成就、有经济需求的本科STEM学者。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，在社区大学开始学术生涯的学生中有很大的天赋和潜力。学者们将通过Science Tech、UpTurnship、MnDRIVE和奥格斯堡大学的本科生研究项目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，以发展关于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质量和公平衡量标准以及其他机构指标来跟踪转让情况。该项目由NSF的科学、技术、工程和数学奖学金项目资助，该项目旨在增加在STEM领域获得学位的低收入学术天才学生的数量。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业成功、留住、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优势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.