RaMP: The Louisiana Graduate Network in Applied Evolution (LAGNiAppE) to strengthen regional connections and broaden the STEM workforce

RaMP：路易斯安那州应用进化研究生网络 (LAGNiAppE)，旨在加强区域联系并扩大 STEM 劳动力队伍

• 批准号: 2216631
• 负责人: Laura Lagomarsino
• 金额: $ 299.98万
• 依托单位: Louisiana State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-09-01 至 2026-08-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2216631&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RaMP; Louisiana; Graduate; Network; Applied

Racial and ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, armed service veterans, and first-generation college graduates are critically underrepresented in STEM disciplines. To build a strong multicultural and diverse scientific research workforce, there is an acute need to design effective interventions via the development of training pathways that cultivate the talents of researchers from underrepresented groups at critical training junctures, including the transition from undergraduate student to graduate school or STEM careers. Evolutionary thinking presents an ideal framework through which to diversify the next generation of scientists: it is the primary unifying principle that unites all of the biological sciences, with obvious and immediate implications in our lives. From pandemics to climate change, extinction crises to pioneering medical treatments, modern agricultural practices to forensics, evolutionary perspectives and frameworks are essential to tackling many of the challenges humans face today. Leveraging the broad importance of evolutionary biology and the strength of research in the discipline across Louisiana, the Louisiana Graduate Network in Applied Evolution (LAGNiAppE) will be established to holistically train three cohorts of ten post-baccalaureate scholars interested in advancing their knowledge and research skills in evolutionary biology. Through LAGNiAppE, recent college graduates from underrepresented groups will engage in a year-long research project with a mentor based at LSU and a co-mentor from another Louisiana university. This training program will prepare participants for a diverse array of STEM careers via a combination of research projects that provide training in high-demand technical skills and structured programming that provides professional development opportunities.The LAGNiAppE training program includes a mentoring framework that integrates high-impact educational practices and the theories of community cultural wealth and social cognitive career theory. The training approach includes multiple mentors, all of whom receive evidence-based mentor training; primary research mentors are based at LSU, while co-mentors are faculty members at other Louisiana institutions, including three Minority Serving Institutions and five Primarily Undergraduate Institutions. This integrated network model will strengthen the research community across an underfunded state and establish a strong foundation through which collaborative training and research can continue into the future. In addition to research projects at the forefront of evolutionary biology, the LAGNiAppE program will be interspersed with key professional development opportunities, including a research bootcamp, a program retreat at a state park, career roundtables, and an inclusive excellence seminar series; the scientists leading these activities form an informal mentor network available to LAGNiAppE Scholars. Rigorous program assessment will be conducted by social scientists with expertise in program evaluation, and the resulting data will contribute to the larger body of knowledge regarding effective mentoring and practices. Scientific results from LAGNiAppE projects will shed light on pivotal questions in evolutionary biology, including processes generating and maintaining biological diversity, and the role of evolutionary change in shaping contemporary processes, such as disease outbreaks and responses to climate change. Research results will be disseminated by Scholars and their mentors via peer-reviewed publications and presentations at SACNAS and LAGNiAppE conferences.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.

种族和少数民族，残疾人，武装服务退伍军人和第一代大学毕业生在STEM学科中的人数严重不足。为了建立强大的多元文化和多样化的科学研究劳动力，迫切需要通过开发培训途径来设计有效的干预措施，从而培养来自关键培训连接不足的研究人员的才能，包括从本科生到研究生院或研究生院或STEM职业。进化思想提出了一个理想的框架，通过它使下一代科学家多样化：这是将所有生物科学团结起来的主要统一原则，对我们的生活产生了明显而直接的影响。从流浪者到气候变化，灭绝危机再到开创性的医疗治疗，现代农业实践再到取证，进化观点和框架对于应对当今人类面临的许多挑战至关重要。将建立在路易斯安那州整个路易斯安那州的学科中的广泛重要性，并将建立应用进化的路易斯安那州研究生网络（Lagniappe），以整体培训三个培训十个群体后的三个群体，这些人有兴趣提高他们的知识和研究技能，在进化生物学中。通过Lagniappe，来自代表性不足的团体的大学毕业生将与位于LSU的一名导师和一位路易斯安那大学的院长一起进行为期一年的研究项目。该培训计划将通过一系列研究项目组合为参与者提供各种STEM职业，这些研究项目提供高需求技术技能和结构化编程的培训，以提供专业开发机会。Lagniapepe培训计划包括一个集成了高影响力的指导框架教育实践以及社区文化财富和社会认知职业理论的理论。培训方法包括多个导师，所有人都接受了循证指导培训；主要的研究导师位于LSU，而联席会员是其他路易斯安那州机构的教职员工，其中包括三个少数派服务机构和五个主要是本科机构。这种综合的网络模型将加强跨资金不足的国家的研究界，并建立一个强大的基础，通过该基础，协作培训和研究可以延续到未来。除了在进化生物学的最前沿的研究项目外，Lagniappe计划还将插入关键的专业发展机会，包括研究训练营，州立公园的计划撤退，职业圆桌会议和卓越卓越研讨会系列；领导这些活动的科学家构成了Lagniappe学者可用的非正式导师网络。严格的计划评估将由具有计划评估方面的专业知识的社会科学家进行，并且所得数据将有助于有关有效指导和实践的更大知识。 Lagniappe项目的科学结果将阐明进化生物学中的关键问题，包括产生和维持生物学多样性的过程，以及进化变化在塑造当代过程中的作用，例如疾病爆发和对气候变化的反应。学者及其导师将通过SACNAS和Lagniappe会议的同行评审出版物和演讲来传播研究结果。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并被认为是值得通过基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛影响的审查标准来通过评估来获得支持的。