RCN-UBE Incubator: Network for the Integration of Natural History Collections in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences

RCN-UBE 孵化器：生态学和进化生物学课程本科研究经验中自然历史收藏整合网络

• 批准号: 1920385
• 负责人: Janice Krumm
• 金额: $ 7.45万
• 依托单位: Widener University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2019-09-01 至 2022-02-28
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1920385&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RCN; UBE; Incubator; Network; Integration

Undergraduate research increases student engagement, retention, and long-term success and is essential for building a scientifically literate and engaged workforce. The Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Course-based Research Experience (EEB-CURE) Network seeks to support the development of new course based undergraduate research experiences by leveraging the rapidly increasing availability of digitized natural history collections data. Embedding research experiences in biology and environmental science coursework is especially important for low income, first generation, and minority undergraduate students unable to dedicate time to research outside their normal course load due to personal and financial barriers. The EEB-CURE Network will create a community of undergraduate educators, natural history curators, education experts, and data experts who will explore how ecology and evolutionary biology classes can mine the hundreds of millions of data records being curated and served on web-based data portals such as iDigBio.org. The first stage of this project will identify the challenges associated with developing course-based research experiences using natural history specimen data and determine what resources and training opportunities are critical for development of these courses. Two surveys will be designed and distributed, one to assess the interest of biology educators in teaching CUREs using natural history collection data and the other to assess the interest of natural history collections professionals in collaborating with educators. The surveys will also investigate the training and resource needs of both groups. The project will recruit a diverse group of steering committee and network members who are passionate about the intersection of ecology, evolution, and natural history collections and who will actively promote the development of an upper-level biology CURE. Faculty members who teach high proportions of underrepresented minorities and first-generation college students will be especially encouraged to participate in the network. The culmination of the project will be a network meeting to review the results of the surveys and develop plans for training workshops, teaching materials, and collaboration opportunities to move the goals of the network forward. This project is being jointly funded by the Directorate for Biological Sciences, Division of Biological Infrastructure, and the Directorate for Education and Human Resources, Division of Undergraduate Education as part of their efforts to address the challenges posed in Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education: A Call to Action (http://visionandchange/finalreport/).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.

本科生研究可以提高学生的参与度、保留率和长期成功，对于培养具有科学素养和敬业精神的员工队伍至关重要。生态学和进化生物学基于课程的研究体验（EEB-CURE）网络旨在通过利用快速增加的数字化自然历史馆藏数据的可用性来支持基于新课程的本科生研究体验的开发。将研究经验融入生物学和环境科学课程对于低收入、第一代和少数族裔本科生来说尤其重要，这些学生由于个人和经济障碍而无法在正常课程负担之外投入时间进行研究。 EEB-CURE 网络将创建一个由本科生教育工作者、自然历史策展人、教育专家和数据专家组成的社区，他们将探索生态学和进化生物学课程如何挖掘基于网络数据管理和服务的数亿条数据记录门户网站，例如 iDigBio.org。 该项目的第一阶段将确定与使用自然历史标本数据开发基于课程的研究经验相关的挑战，并确定哪些资源和培训机会对于这些课程的开发至关重要。 将设计和分发两项调查，一项是为了评估生物教育工作者使用自然历史收藏数据教授 CURE 的兴趣，另一项是为了评估自然历史收藏专业人员与教育工作者合作的兴趣。 调查还将调查这两个群体的培训和资源需求。 该项目将招募多元化的指导委员会和网络成员，他们对生态学、进化论和自然历史收藏的交叉领域充满热情，并将积极推动上层生物学 CURE 的发展。 我们将特别鼓励教授比例较高的少数族裔和第一代大学生的教师参与该网络。 该项目的高潮将是一次网络会议，以审查调查结果并制定培训研讨会、教材和合作机会的计划，以推动网络的目标向前发展。 该项目由生物科学局生物基础设施司和教育和人力资源局本科教育司联合资助，作为他们努力解决本科生物教育愿景和变革所带来的挑战的一部分：行动号召 (http://visionandchange/finalreport/)。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。