RAPID: Building Research Capabilities of Academically Talented Undergraduate Students from Hispanic-Serving Institutions through Virtual Research Experiences

改善本科STEM教育：西班牙裔服务机构计划（HSI计划）在数据，设施或专用设备的可用性或访问方面存在严重紧迫性时支持RAPID项目，包括对自然或人为灾害以及类似意外事件的快速反应研究，如COVID-19大流行。该项目旨在开发有效的虚拟实习和本科生研究经验，以扩大少数民族本科生在计算机科学方面的学习和专业发展机会。COVID-19大流行对社会各个领域造成了破坏，实习、工作和本科生研究经验的广泛流失，对计算领域的人才管道和美国创新的未来产生了负面影响。这种颠覆很可能在不久的将来发生，美国必须做好充分准备，为学生提供有效的虚拟发展机会和体验。该项目将通过完善一个经过验证的培养专业、研究、团队和沟通技能的模型来解决这一紧迫性，以便在虚拟环境中发挥作用。该项目将吸引来自不同背景和不同经验的学生参与有影响力的研究项目，同时证明学生的资金将部分支持他们继续接受教育。扩大少数民族学生在研究中的参与可以提高计算机领域的保留率和毕业率。 拟议的项目将提供教师专业发展的亲和力研究小组（ARG）模型，计算西班牙裔服务机构（CAHSI）签名和实践证明，让学生沉浸在研究联盟。教师还将学习如何将ARG元素融入课堂教学实践，以改善教学和学习。这一努力将导致一个全国性的教师社区，他们擅长通过ARG模型进行本科生研究指导，并通过参与一组研究人员和参与ARG互动网络研讨会而成长。评估将确定最适合本科生虚拟研究体验（雷乌斯）的实践。它还将研究学生对计算机科学的看法和他们的职业目标是否在虚拟REU参与后发生变化。此外，评估将调查加入一个队列社区，以支持研究与本科教师的好处。 有效的虚拟本科生研究经验的模型的开发可以使许多学生受益，特别是谁没有能力前往远程雷乌斯，因为家庭义务的学生。这个快速奖是由西班牙裔服务机构计划在人力资源开发司，教育和人力资源局。HSI计划旨在加强本科生STEM教育和培养HSI的能力。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。

The Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program (HSI Program) supports RAPID projects when there is severe urgency with regard to availability of, or access to, data, facilities or specialized equipment, including quick-response research on natural or anthropogenic disasters and similar unanticipated events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This project aims to develop effective virtual internships and undergraduate research experiences to expand learning and professional development opportunities in computer sciences to minoritized undergraduate students. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a disruption in society across all sectors with widespread loss of internships, jobs, and undergraduate research experiences that negatively impact the talent pipeline in computing fields and the future of U.S. innovation. Such disruptions are likely to occur in the near future, and the U.S. must be well-prepared in offering effective virtual development opportunities and experiences for students. This project will address this exigency by refining a proven model for developing professional, research, team, and communication skills so that it will be effective in a virtual environment.The project will engage students from diverse backgrounds and with diverse experiences in impactful research projects while proving students funding that will, in part, support continuation of their education. Broadening participation of minoritized students in research can increase retention and graduation rates in computing fields. The proposed project will provide faculty professional development in the Affinity Research Group (ARG) model, a Computing Alliance of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (CAHSI) signature and proven practice for immersing students in research. Faculty will also learn how to incorporate ARG elements into classroom pedagogical practice to improve teaching and learning. The effort will lead to a national community of faculty who are skilled at undergraduate research mentoring informed by the ARG model and who grow through their involvement with a cohort of researchers and participation in ARG interactive webinars. The evaluation will identify the practices that work best for the virtual Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs). It will also examine whether student perceptions of computer science and their career goals change after participation in a virtual REU. In addition, the evaluation will investigate the benefit to faculty of joining a cohort community in support of research with undergraduate. The development of a model for effective virtual undergraduate research experiences can benefit many students, especially students who do not have the ability to travel to remote REUs because of family obligations. This RAPID award is made by the Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program in the Division of Human Resource Development, Directorate of Education and Human Resources. The HSI Program aims to enhance undergraduate STEM education and build capacity at HSIs.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.