| NSF Org: |
OPP Office of Polar Programs (OPP) |
| Recipient: |
|
| Initial Amendment Date: | April 3, 2018 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | March 13, 2024 |
| Award Number: | 1748137 |
| Award Instrument: | Continuing Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Elizabeth Rom
elrom@nsf.gov (703)292-7709 OPP Office of Polar Programs (OPP) GEO Directorate for Geosciences |
| Start Date: | April 15, 2018 |
| End Date: | March 31, 2025 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $994,119.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $994,119.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
FY 2019 = $752,959.00 FY 2020 = $0.00 |
| History of Investigator: |
|
| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
7 LEBANON ST HANOVER NH US 03755-2170 (603)646-3007 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
|
| Primary Place of Performance: |
NH US 03755-2082 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
|
| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
|
| Parent UEI: |
|
| NSF Program(s): | Polar Special Initiatives |
| Primary Program Source: |
|
| Program Reference Code(s): |
|
| Program Element Code(s): |
|
| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.078 |
ABSTRACT
Earth's polar regions are undergoing rapid changes that have relevance to the entire world. Scientists are working to understand the causes and consequences of this change and have a critical role in communicating their findings with diverse stakeholders. The pace of polar change demands continuous investment in training and educating the next generation of polar professionals who are prepared to be leaders in academia, government, industry, and policy. The Joint Science Education Project (JSEP) and the Joint Antarctic School Expedition (JASE) are two NSF-sponsored polar-focused programs that provide significant opportunities for training the next generation of STEM professionals and for polar-science outreach. JSEP, a project of the Joint Committee, was initiated in 2007 to educate students and teachers from Greenland, Denmark, and the U.S. The program brings US students together with Danish and Greenlandic students in Greenland where the group spends three weeks studying the causes and consequences of Arctic environmental change. JASE, a project in collaboration with the Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH), takes U.S. students to Antarctica to work alongside Chilean students and examine Antarctica's rapidly changing ecosystems. This award provides funding for Dartmouth College to lead the U.S. contributions to JSEP and JASE for the next four years. Dartmouth will organize a nation-wide application process to select high school student participants each year and will work with the international program coordinators to design student activities and learning experiences. In addition to coordinating each field-based program for U.S. high school students, Dartmouth will work to broaden the impact of these programs by sending a team of graduate student and faculty researchers with polar field experience to lead scientific components of JSEP and JASE, work with Greenlandic and Chilean educators to disseminate JSEP and JASE polar science outcomes to local audiences during the field-based expeditions, adapt JSEP and JASE polar science field activities for use in U.S. and international classrooms, provide training in cross-cultural science communication for diverse audiences to Dartmouth graduate students and the campus community, and assess skill- and content-based outcomes for high school and graduate student participants in JSEP and JASE. Societal benefits include building international networks of students, educators, stakeholders, future leaders, and polar scientists; diversifying the US polar scientific workforce, and generating polar science educational tools and modules that are freely accessible to students and teachers in multiple languages. This program addresses national priorities by developing a U.S. scientific workforce that is knowledgeable about the Arctic and the Antarctic, regions that are of growing importance to U.S. economic development and national security.
The Joint Committee, a high-level government forum between the U.S., Greenlandic, and Danish governments, initiated JSEP during the International Polar Year in 2007. Since its inception, high school students and teachers from Greenland, Denmark, and the U.S. have traveled to Greenland to participate in two JSEP educational programs, Kangerlussuaq Science Field School and Science and Education Week. In 2013, the Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH), invited the United States to participate in their Expedición Antártica Escolar (EAE), a program to promote awareness and appreciation of Antarctica in young Chileans. Since then, U.S. teams have joined three JASE expeditions, which provide hands-on experience with Antarctic research to high school students and teachers from both nations. Both JSEP and JASE aim to 1) educate and inspire the next generation of polar scientists, 2) build strong networks of students, teachers and researchers among the participating countries, and 3) improve language and communication skills by taking teams of students to the polar regions to share in polar science activities. The program will strengthen international scientific ties between the U.S., Denmark and Greenland and improve the understanding of polar science for students and citizens of all three countries. Dartmouth will conduct assessments of outcomes for the current high school students and graduate student polar fellows as well as surveys of alumni from previous U.S., Danish, Greenlandic, and Chilean participants. The JSEP program will provide U.S. high school students and high school teachers with an immersion experience in polar science and international collaboration. It will also provide graduate students with experience and training in teaching, cross-cultural communications and outreach.
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.
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.
This project addressed national priorities by developing a U.S. scientific workforce with expertise in the Arctic and Antarctic, two regions that are of growing importance scientifically and to U.S. economic development and national security. Specifically, funding provided to Dartmouth College supported field-based STEM experiences in Greenland and Antarctica and remote STEM education for over 100 competitively chosen U.S. high school students. The project provided advanced training in polar STEM to cohorts of 5-8 U.S. undergraduate and graduate students annually. Our U.S. team worked alongside students, educators, and scientists from Denmark and Greenland from 2018-2019 during the annual 3-week Joint Science Education Project (JSEP) in Greenland. From 2020-2022, our JSEP program operated in remote format due to travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. JSEP was established during the International Polar Year in 2007 by the Joint Committee, a high-level government forum between the U.S., Greenlandic, and Danish governments. In 2018, we worked with students, educators, and scientists from Chile to lead the 2-week Joint Antarctic School Expedition (JASE) to Chile and Antarctica.
Our programs expanded opportunities for American students from across the U.S to participate in scientifically rigorous and inquiry-driven curricula about the polar regions. Students participated in activities from multiple science disciplines spanning biogeosciences, engineering, and polar technology. Graduate students participated in additional professional development activities to strengthen their skills for science communication, STEM and field-based teaching, and international collaborations.
Several elements of this project were rated as particularly effective for training students in polar science, engineering, and technology. All students learned new polar science content, and they also gained significant experience with the entire process of science by completing an independent research project. We worked with students to develop compelling research questions, design and implement scientific studies, and communicate results with the public. The graduate students served as scientific mentors for the high school student research projects. The graduate students gained mentoring skills and the high school students had access to early-career scientists who could help them understand the process of becoming a scientist or engineer. Students were also required to share the results of their polar science research with multiple audiences and communities. For example, in Greenland, students designed exhibits for an outreach event at the Kangerlussuaq airport and created videos explaining their projects for a general audience.
Our program evaluation revealed that participants developed knowledge and skills that have prepared them to join the U.S. polar and STEM workforce. Our alumni have pursued additional polar science and technology education, entered careers in polar research and policy, joined industry, and started small businesses for polar technology. Our efforts on this project have strengthened our domestic workforce and will ensure the U.S. remains a global leader in polar research.
Last Modified: 05/03/2025
Modified by: Ross A Virginia
Please report errors in award information by writing to: awardsearch@nsf.gov.
