| NSF Org: |
DUE Division Of Undergraduate Education |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | April 1, 2016 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | April 1, 2016 |
| Award Number: | 1564894 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Jill Nelson
DUE Division Of Undergraduate Education EDU Directorate for STEM Education |
| Start Date: | May 1, 2016 |
| End Date: | April 30, 2022 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $649,681.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $649,681.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
221 N GRAND BLVD SAINT LOUIS MO US 63103-2006 (314)977-3925 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
MO US 63103-2006 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | S-STEM-Schlr Sci Tech Eng&Math |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.076 |
ABSTRACT
The Bioinformatics Training with Industry Support and Engagement (BITWISE) project will provide financial, academic, and career support for academically talented, low-income students while enrolled in a new interdisciplinary Master of Science program in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology at Saint Louis University. The project will leverage the university's midtown location within a vibrant community of biotechnology industries in the Greater St. Louis area. Community partners provide a broad network for placing students into internships while completing their master's degrees and into careers upon graduation. Local industries will invite groups of BITWISE scholars on location through a series of field trips during the academic year, and industry mentors will participate in on-campus activities such as research seminars and career panels.
Direct outcomes of the project will include improved educational opportunities for both the BITWISE scholars and future generations of students who follow a similar educational pathway, and the enrichment of the biotechnology workforce in a field of great local and national need. Further impact of the project will include establishing and assessing a model for a robust university-industry partnership in support of a professionally-oriented master's degree in an interdisciplinary STEM field, and for using both common courses and extracurricular activities to develop a cohesive interdisciplinary cohort from an initial population of students who arrive with diverse backgrounds ranging over more discipline-specific undergraduate fields of study.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
The project supported 28 S-STEM scholars while enrolled in an interdisciplinary Masters of Science program in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology. At the conclusion of the project, 23 scholars have graduated from the program (though one lost scholarship eligibility), while four are entering their final academic year. One scholar withdrew from the academic program (to work full-time in a bioinformatics industry). Among the 22 students who completed the program as S-STEM Scholars, 7 have subsequently entered PhD programs in STEM fields, while 14 are employed in a STEM industry.The cohort of scholars had a combined GPA of 3.77 while in the program. The scholars also contributed as co-authors on eleven refereed publications and four poster presentations at professional meetings.
The intellectual merit of the project was to analyze various educational and co-curricular support structures, especially in light of a professionally-oriented master's degree which enrolls students from a wide variety of undergraduate disciplines. An evaluation of the various interventions concluded that the use of Supplemental Instruction, with a second-year student supporting first-year students in their introductory sequence, was most well received by students, both because of the academic support and the building of a cohort.
The broader impact of the project is most directly reflected in the successful development of the cohort of scholars, and the resulting enrichment of the workforce. The project also strengthened this relatively new academic program and established pathways that will be used by many future students. The sustainability of the academic program is demonstrated by the Fall 2022 intake of students, which was the largest cohort to date for the program, despite students no longer being supported as NSF S-STEM scholars.
Last Modified: 08/27/2022
Modified by: Michael H Goldwasser
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