ICE-TI: Master of Science in Biology

部落学院和大学方案的一个目标是提高为全国土著学生服务的特定高等教育机构的科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）教学和研究能力。扩大这些机构的STEM课程设置，增加了学生在STEM领域追求具有挑战性和回报的职业的机会，为可能具有文化意义的领域提供了研究，并鼓励社区和一代人对科学和数学教育的欣赏。该项目由Diné学院提交，名为“生物学理学硕士”，直接符合这一目标。通过合作努力，该项目建立了一个基于论文的生物学硕士学位，建立在学院多个STEM BS学位的坚实基础上，包括生物学，其教师的专业知识，当地文化专家的知识，以及学院的实质性STEM基础设施。该学位包括一系列严格的课程，包括实地和实验室课程，重点是STEM内容知识和研究技能，以及强大的文化基础，以支持土著学生的成功。该项目推进了迪内学院的学位课程，包括研究生学习，使准备在不同环境中从事STEM职业的研究人员能够入学。迪内学院的生物学理学硕士学位旨在为土著和其他学生提供生物学概念，研究技术和子学科特定专业知识的先进理解。学生将参与西方研究生教育过程，通过智力理解和实践经验纵向和横向扩展知识，使毕业生能够获得更高水平的就业和教育机会。通过整合传统生态知识，并发展他们对科学和社会领域文化知识重要性的理解，该计划将产生变革性影响，催化毕业生的能力，以文化敏感的方式应用他们的学习和解释他们的工作。该项目推进了Diné学院的学位课程，包括研究生课程，使准备在不同环境中从事STEM专业的研究人员能够入学。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。

A goal of the Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) is to increase the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) instructional and research capacities of specific institutions of higher education that serve the Nation's Indigenous students. Expanding the STEM curricular offerings at these institutions increases the opportunities for their students to pursue challenging, rewarding careers in STEM fields, provides for research studies in areas that may be culturally significant, and encourages a community and generational appreciation for science and mathematics education. This project, submitted by Diné College and titled “Master of Science in Biology” directly aligns with that goal. Through a collaborative effort, the project establishes a thesis-based Master of Science in Biology built on the solid foundation of the college’s multiple STEM BS degrees, including Biology, its faculty members’ expertise, the knowledge of local cultural experts, and the college’s substantive STEM infrastructure. The degree includes a rigorous slate of courses, including field and laboratory courses, focused on STEM content knowledge and research skills, as well as a strong cultural grounding to support the success of Indigenous students. The project advances the degree offerings at Diné College to include graduate study, enabling the matriculation of researchers prepared to work in STEM professions in diverse settings.The Master of Science in Biology degree at Diné College is designed to prepare Indigenous and other students with an advanced understanding of biology concepts, research techniques, and sub-discipline-specific expertise. Students will engage in the western graduate education process to expand their knowledge vertically and horizontally through both intellectual understanding and practical experience, enabling graduates to advance to higher levels of employment and educational opportunities. By also integrating Traditional Ecological Knowledge and developing their understanding of the significance of cultural knowledge in scientific and social realms, the program will have transformative effects, catalyzing graduates’ abilities to apply their learning and interpret their work in culturally sensitive ways. The project advances the degree offerings at Diné College to include graduate study, enabling the matriculation of researchers prepared to work in STEM professions in diverse settings.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.