Conference: Plant Biology 2021 PUI Faculty Development Workshop and Conference Participation

主要是本科院校(PUI)的研究人员在本科生的科学教育中发挥着重要作用。尽管PUI通常缺乏尖端研究型大学的光彩，但它们经常用教师对教育学的奉献精神来弥补这一点。较小的班级规模、教师教授的实验室课程以及以课程为基础的本科生研究经验往往是学生选择参加PPI的原因。虽然PUIS的研究进展速度必然慢于研究密集型机构，但仍为美国的整体研究产出做出了贡献，或许最重要的是，为本科生准备研究生院或STEM职业生涯提供了获得真实研究经验的机会。由于系规模较小，PUIS的教职员工通常无法联系到研究与自己类似问题的同事。对于这些教授来说，参加会议往往是他们在各自领域建立网络、交流思想和了解最新情况的唯一途径。这笔奖金用于支付参加2021年植物生物学大会的PUI教职员工的注册费和旅费。除了建立联系和交流他们自己和同事的研究外，参加这次会议的PUI教师还可以参加一个关于本科生研究包容性主题的教师发展工作坊。会议的参与预计将对与会者向不同的学生群体提供丰富的研究经验的能力产生直接和持久的影响，包括那些在科学界历史上代表性不足的学生。发展和维持一个包括本科生参与机会在内的强有力的研究项目是一项有回报但困难的任务。积极努力增加本科生研究的多样性也是一项有益而重要的任务，但也增加了一层潜在的耗时活动。尽管研究项目的发展和扩大科学参与度的积极工作对任何机构的教职员工都是挑战，但有几个方面使这项工作对PUIS的科学家来说尤其困难。与研究密集型机构相比，研究基础设施和资金水平较低，在大多数情况下，PUI的研究生和博士后缺乏支持，这构成了挑战。由于教学负担较重而造成的时间限制可能是PUI教职员工在开发包容性和富有成效的研究计划方面必须克服的最困难的方面。在PUI层面增加科学研究多样性的有目的的方法需要时间、想法、金钱和特定的技能。拥有一个为相同目标而努力的同事网络对于提高生产率和协同作用非常重要。该项目建议为植物生物学研究所的科学家组织和提供一个讲习班，并为植物生物学研究所的科学家提供2021年植物生物学的旅行/注册补助金。一个3.5小时的工作坊计划在会议的第一天早上举行，目的是帮助PUI教职员工发展和保持更多高效和多样化的研究实验室。此外，一个关于在PUI、PUI商务会议和非正式会议上获得工作的小组将促进同事之间的联系和合作机会。该奖项由植物基因组研究计划和整合组织系统部门的生理机制和生物力学计划共同资助。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。

Researchers at primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs) play an important role in educating undergraduates in the sciences. Although PUIs generally lack the luster of cutting-edge research universities, they often make up for that with their faculty’s dedication to pedagogy. Smaller class sizes, lab courses taught by faculty, and course-based undergraduate research experiences are often reasons why students choose to attend a PUI. Research at PUIs, while necessarily proceeding at a slower pace than in research-intensive institutions, nonetheless contributes to the overall research output of the United States and, maybe most importantly, provides access to authentic research experiences for undergraduates in their preparation for graduate school or a STEM career. Due to the smaller department size, faculty at PUIs often lack access to colleagues studying similar questions to their own. For these professors participating in conferences is often the only way to network, exchange ideas, and stay current in their fields. This grant provides awards to defray the cost of registration and travel specifically to PUI faculty to participate in the Plant Biology 2021 conference. Aside from networking and conversing about their own and their colleagues’ research, PUI faculty attending this meeting will also be able to participate in a faculty development workshop on the topic of inclusivity in undergraduate research. Conference participation is expected to have a direct and lasting effect on the ability of attendees to provide rich research experiences to a diverse group of students, including those historically underrepresented in the sciences.Developing and maintaining a vigorous research program that includes opportunities for undergraduate involvement is a rewarding but difficult task. Working actively to increase diversity in undergraduate research is also a rewarding and important task, but adds an additional layer of potentially time-consuming activities. Although research program development and active work to broaden participation in the sciences are challenges for faculty at any institution, several aspects make this work particularly difficult for scientists at PUIs. Compared to research-intensive institutions, a lower level of research infrastructure, funding, and in most cases the absence of support from graduate students and postdocs at PUIs pose challenges. Time constraints due to heavier teaching loads are likely the most difficult aspect that PUI faculty members have to overcome towards developing an inclusive and productive research program. Intentional approaches to add diversity in scientific research at the PUI level require time, ideas, money, and specific skills. Having a network of colleagues who are working towards the same goals is important to increase productivity and synergism. This project proposes to organize and offer a workshop for PUI scientists and to provide travel/registration grants for Plant Biology 2021 for PUI scientists. A 3.5-hour workshop is planned for the first morning of the meeting with the goal of helping PUI faculty develop and maintain productive and more diverse research labs. Additionally, a panel on obtaining a job at a PUI, the PUI business meeting, and informal meet ups will foster networking and opportunities to collaborate among colleagues.This award was co-funded by the Plant Genome Research Program and the Physiological Mechanisms and Biomechanics Program in the Division of Integrative Organismal Systems.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.