GP-UP: Increasing representation and success of African Americans in the geosciences

该项目由GEO GOLDEN和促进竞争研究的既定计划（EPSCoR）共同资助。未来10年，地球科学领域的就业增长预计将比美国平均就业增长率高出50%，其中一些子领域的增长率将超过平均增长率的两倍。与此同时，近年来这些领域的本科生入学人数保持相对平稳，甚至略有下降，导致训练有素的地球科学家短缺。此外，尽管最近增加STEM多样性的努力在某些领域取得了成功，但地球科学领域的多样性却落后了，在STEM领域传统上代表性不足的群体中，地球科学的包容性水平最低；在这些群体中，非洲裔美国人仍然是最不具代表性的群体之一，在2018年获得的地球科学博士学位中，非洲裔美国人的比例不到1.5%（美国国家科学与工程统计中心，获得博士学位调查）。该项目旨在通过在杰克逊州立大学（JSU）增加潜在的地球科学职业，多学科研究经验，技能建设研讨会，网络和教师介导的职业规划，增加招聘，提高学生的长期成功和持久性，并提高非裔美国学生的研究生安置。杰克逊州立大学是美国第十大历史黑人学院/大学。该项目将提供一个专注于海洋科学、环境科学和地球系统科学本科学位课程的途径。它的目标是通过以下方式提高URM在地球科学领域的入学率、保留率和持久性：1)通过一系列强有力的研讨会提高对潜在地球科学职业的认识；2)通过教师介导的职业规划和应用援助加强准备；3)通过独立研究和技能培养研讨会扩大相关经验的获取。即使是针对目标群体，该项目的大部分活动也将向所有JSU学生开放，包括：1)每周举办一系列研讨会，邀请演讲者强调地球科学的潜在职业和研究领域；2)举办一系列讲习班，重点培养一般研究技能（例如，数据分析和可视化、地理信息系统/遥感、撰写研究论文）和制作与职业发展相关的专业文件（例如，简历、简历、个人陈述、研究陈述、求职信）；3)研讨会的重点是确定和申请夏季研究机会或实习机会，以及地球科学方面的研究生课程。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project is jointly funded by GEO GOLDEN and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).Careers in the geosciences are expected to grow by 50% above the average job growth rate in the US over the next 10 years, with some subfields experiencing more than double the average growth rate. At the same time undergraduate enrollment within these fields has remained relatively flat or even slightly decreased in recent years, leading to a shortage of trained geoscientists. Furthermore, while recent efforts to increase diversity within STEM have been met with success in some fields, diversity within the geosciences has lagged behind, with geosciences having the lowest levels of inclusion among groups traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields; and, among these groups, African Americans remain among the least represented making up less than 1.5% of geoscience doctorates awarded in 2018 (National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Earned Doctorates). This project aims to increase recruitment, improve long-term student success and persistence, and enhance post-graduate placement of African American students, through increased exposure to potential geoscience careers, multidisciplinary research experiences, skill-building workshops, networking, and faculty-mediated career planning at Jackson State University (JSU), the nation’s 10th largest Historically Black College/University. This project will provide a pathway focused on Marine Science, Environmental Science, and Earth Systems Science undergraduate degree programs. It aims to increase enrollment, retention, and persistence of URM in the geosciences by: 1) increasing awareness of potential geoscience careers through a robust seminar series, 2) enhancing preparedness through faculty-mediated career planning and application assistance 3) expanding acquisition of relevant experiences through independent research and skill-building workshops. Even with focus on a targeted cohort, most of the activities in this program will be open to all JSU students including: 1) a weekly seminar series that will include invited speakers highlighting potential careers and areas of research in the geosciences, 2) a series of workshops focused on building general research skills (e.g., data analysis and visualization, GIS/Remote Sensing, writing research papers) and the generation of professional documents (e.g., curriculum vitae, resume, personal statement, research statement, cover letter) relevant to career advancement, and 3) seminars focused on identifying and applying for summer research opportunities or internships, as well as post-graduate programs, in the geosciences.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.