Field-based Undergraduate Training: Utilizing Research for Equity (FUTURE) in Biology

实地本科生培训：利用生物学研究实现公平（未来）

• 批准号: 2329523
• 负责人: Roxanne Beltran
• 金额: $ 124.88万
• 依托单位: University of California-Santa Cruz
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2024-01-01 至 2026-12-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2329523&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Field; based; Undergraduate; Training; Utilizing

Undergraduate field courses can be used as pedagogical tools in the curriculum to increase persistence in biology majors, especially for marginalized students. However, it is unclear how field courses should be designed and when they should be offered in the undergraduate curriculum to provide the most benefits to students. This project will recruit a cohort of 3 postdoctoral fellows who will lead qualitative and quantitative research on the benefits of field course design elements in three existing departmental initiatives at University of California- Santa Cruz (UCSC), a Hispanic-Serving Research Institution. Fellows’ discoveries will connect pieces of the puzzle to improve retention, equity, and student success in STEM, especially among marginalized students, through refinement and implementation of courses and internships during strategic curricular time points. Fellows will benefit intellectually, professionally, and socially in preparation for education research careers, and will provide role models for hundreds of graduate students who seek similar opportunities. By providing cohort- and community-based support for the fellows and building capacity for biology education research, this work will be of significance in empowering STEM talent and knowledge creation in higher education research. A major priority in higher education is to improve retention of students from marginalized groups and support them through admission to graduate school and employment in the expanding STEM workforce. Although field courses show promise for recruitment and persistence of marginalized undergraduate students, many questions remain about which design components are important to generate desired outcomes, and when in the undergraduate curriculum these opportunities should be offered. This project will build on existing strengths in equitable field-based teaching and diverse leadership to support 3 fellows to undertake research to improve field-based undergraduate training in the life sciences. This comprehensive support program for the Postdoc Fellows has the four goals: 1) Targeted recruitment, selection, and retention strategies including a professional development plan and identification of impactful, feasible projects; 2) Cultivating a community of practice in field teaching, education research, and diversity, equity, and inclusion to support success and networking; 3) Fostering connections outside the department and institution; and 4) Assessing and disseminating the program outcomes to turn knowledge into scalable solutions. By collaboratively designing and delivering a new field teaching program based on equity, safety, and cultural responsibility, the postdoc Fellows will transform the experiences of hundreds of undergraduate students and dozens of field course instructors. This project is supported by NSF’s STEM Education Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (STEM Ed PRF) Program with co-funding from the Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Program. The STEM Ed PRF Program aims to enhance the research knowledge, skills, and practices of recent doctorates in STEM, STEM education, education, and related disciplines to advance their preparation to engage in fundamental and applied research that advances knowledge within the field. The HSI Program supports projects that improve undergraduate STEM education and increase the rates of recruitment, retention and graduation of undergraduate STEM students at Hispanic-serving institutions.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.

本科生实地课程可以作为课程中的教学工具，以提高生物学专业的坚持性，特别是对于边缘化学生。然而，尚不清楚应如何设计实地课程以及何时应在本科课程中提供实地课程才能提供最大的好处。该项目将招募 3 名博士后研究员，他们将在加州大学圣克鲁斯分校（UCSC）（一家为西班牙裔服务的研究机构）的三个现有部门计划中领导定量领域课程设计元素的好处的定性和研究。研究员的通过在战略课程时间点上完善和实施课程和实习，研究员将在智力、专业和社交方面受益，为 STEM 做好准备。教育研究职业，并将为数百名寻求类似机会的研究生提供榜样，通过为研究员提供基于队列和社区的支持并建设生物教育研究能力，这项工作对于增强 STEM 人才和能力具有重要意义。高等教育中的知识创造高等教育的一个主要优先事项是提高边缘群体学生的保留率，并通过进入研究生院和在不断扩大的 STEM 劳动力中就业来支持他们。关于哪些设计成分对于产生期望的结果很重要，以及在本科课程中应该提供这些机会，该项目将建立在公平的实地教学和多元化领导力的现有优势的基础上，支持 3 名研究员进行研究以改善实地。这一基于生命科学的本科培训。博士后研究员有四个目标：1）有针对性的招聘、选拔和保留策略，包括专业发展计划和确定有影响力、可行的项目；2）在实地教学、教育研究以及多样性、公平性和包容性方面培养实践社区；包容性，以支持成功和网络； 3) 促进部门和机构之外的联系；以及 4) 评估和传播项目成果，将知识转化为可扩展的解决方案。博士后研究员将改变数百名本科生和数十名现场课程讲师的经历。该项目得到了 NSF 的 STEM 教育博士后研究奖学金 (STEM Ed PRF) 计划的支持，并得到了西班牙裔服务机构的共同资助。 (HSI) 计划。STEM Ed PRF 计划旨在增强近期博士生在 STEM、STEM 教育、教育和相关学科方面的研究知识、技能和实践，以促进他们为从事基础和应用研究做好准备。 HSI 计划支持改善本科 STEM 教育并提高拉美裔服务机构本科 STEM 学生的招收率、保留率和毕业率的项目。该奖项是 NSF 的法定使命，并通过评估被认为值得支持。利用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准。