Research Opportunities for Undergraduates: Training in Environmental Health Sciences (ROUTES)

 描述(由申请者提供)：“本科生的研究机会：环境健康科学培训(ROUES)”的目标是增加来自代表性不足背景的科学家从事日益复杂的环境健康研究领域。它将通过关注未被充分代表的少数族裔(URM)本科生来实现这一目标，为他们提供环境健康科学不同主题的实践研究经验。对环境健康的关注是由于这一主题对受不成比例影响的URM社区的重要性和相关性，以及EH研究的复杂性、协作性和跨学科性质。该团队将建立一个环境健康科学的多学科本科生研究计划，利用东北大学在这一领域的雄厚资助研究基础，以及我们在健康科学、工程和环境科学方面的环境健康相关计划。该计划将提供环境健康科学方面的教学、指导和研究专业知识。为此，将为URM学生制定一个新的创新计划，包括(1)通过东北大学URM本科生外展活动提供参与和招聘机会，(2)通过研讨会为URM学生提供为期6个月的全日制合作研究经验，(3)有针对性的指导和支持服务，以帮助URM学生寻求研究生学习和研究职业，以及(4)通过与更大的研究社区接触，为URM学生提供专业发展。路线将建立在现有的NEU项目网络的基础上，这些项目在STEM招收和支持URM学生方面有着成功的历史，以丰富环境健康科学研究的本科生经验。与这些教育和培训计划相辅相成的是评估方法，允许持续评估和改进，培训教师对URM学生的指导，并招聘更多的URM教师指导。路线将扩大对探索EH研究职业感兴趣的本科生URM学生的池，并在五年内创造多达30名学生参加有偿实践研究体验、指导和补充活动的机会。通过这些方法，路线将鼓励URM在EH从事研究职业，从而满足国家的关键需求。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The objective of "Research Opportunities for Undergraduates: Training in Environmental Health Science (ROUTES)" is to increase the pool of scientists from underrepresented backgrounds engaged in the increasingly complex field of environmental health research. It will do so through a focus on underrepresented minority (URM) undergraduate students, providing them with hands-on research experience in diverse topics in Environmental Health Sciences. The focus on environmental health is driven by the importance and relevance of this topic to disproportionately affected URM communities as well as the complex, collaborative and interdisciplinary nature of EH research. This team will establish a multidisciplinary undergraduate research program in environmental health sciences that draws from Northeastern's (NEU) strong base of funded research in this area and our environmental health-related programs in health sciences, engineering, and environmental sciences. The program will provide teaching, mentoring, and research expertise in environmental health sciences. To do so, a new, innovative program for URM students will be developed, including (1) engagement and recruitment opportunities through URM undergraduate outreach at NEU, (2) full- time co-op research experiences for six months for URM students with a symposium, (3) targeted mentoring and support services to assist URM student participants in pursing graduate studies and research careers, and (4) professional development for URM students through engagement with larger research communities. ROUTES will build upon a network of existing NEU programs, which have a successful history of recruiting and supporting URM students in STEM, to enrich undergraduate experiences in environmental health sciences research. These educational and training programs are complemented by an evaluation approach that allows for continuous assessment and improvement, faculty training in URM student mentoring, and recruitment of additional URM faculty mentors. ROUTES will enlarge the pool of undergraduate URM students that are interested in exploring EH research careers and create opportunities for up to 30 students over five years to participate in paid hands-on research experiences, mentoring, and complementary activities. Through these methods, ROUTES will encourage URMs to pursue research careers in EH, thus addressing a critical national need.