| NSF Org: |
DBI Division of Biological Infrastructure |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | May 18, 2020 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | May 18, 2020 |
| Award Number: | 2032158 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Amanda Simcox
asimcox@nsf.gov (703)292-8165 DBI Division of Biological Infrastructure BIO Directorate for Biological Sciences |
| Start Date: | June 1, 2020 |
| End Date: | May 31, 2022 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $198,979.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $198,979.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
1 UNIVERSITY PL CHESTER PA US 19013-5792 (610)499-4396 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
One University Place PA US 19013-5792 |
| 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): | COVID-19 Research |
| 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): | 47.074 |
ABSTRACT
RAPID: Development of online-based research experiences to mitigate the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on undergraduate biology education
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a shift to online learning for undergraduate educators on an unprecedented scale. This project will support the accelerated development and use of online digitized Natural History Collections (dNHC) to substitute for laboratory and field-based research projects that have been lost as a result of the pandemic. Implementation of dNHC-enabled online courses will engage hundreds to thousands of students at the introductory and advanced level. This approach is known to increase engagement, retention, and long-term success in undergraduates. Embedding research experiences in biology coursework is especially important for low income, first-generation, and minority undergraduate students who may be unable to dedicate time to research outside their normal course load due to personal and financial barriers.
This Rapid grant is dedicated to bringing together undergraduate educators, natural history collections professionals, data professionals, and collections researchers to support the development and implementation of online Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) using dNHC data for the 2020-2021 academic year. Extensive NSF-funded digitization of biological collections has created millions of specimen records on publicly-available data portals, resulting in unique and innovative opportunities for collections research. Using these resources in CUREs provides teaching and research opportunities to students and educators and requires only a computer, internet access, and time. Online CUREs using dNHCs are perfectly positioned to fill the gap in ecology and evolution research experiences as students lose access to laboratories and field sites. Teams of undergraduate educators and collections professionals will collaborate to develop teaching materials, course syllabi, and instructor guides to support the implementation of online dNHC CUREs in fall 2020 and beyond. This RAPID will recruit a diverse group of CURE developers and implementers and support members with collaboration and training opportunities. Faculty members who teach high proportions of underrepresented minorities and first-generation college students will be especially encouraged to participate, and resources created through this process will be widely disseminated to guide and support future dNHC CURE development. This RAPID award is made by the Division of Biological Infrastructure (DBI) using funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
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 RAPID-COVID award supported the development and dissemination of Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) using open access data from natural history collections that has been digitized and is freely available online to all students, regardless of institutional resources or location. These inquiry-driven, active learning research experiences provide students with opportunities to better understand the process of science, and the CUREs require only access to the internet so they can be implemented at no cost in online, hybrid, and in-person courses. By embedding research experiences in coursework, CUREs increase accessibility for all students, including students with financial or time limitations that limit access to apprentice style research experiences. The use of digitized natural history collections data in these CUREs supports student learning of transferable skills including data management, science communication, and collaboration at all institution types. These skills are critical elements in creating a highly trained scientific workforce.
Educational materials for four CUREs using digitized natural history collections were created in summer 2020 by teams of undergraduate educators and natural history collections professionals. The CURE developers participated in professional development workshops on topics including introduction to natural history collections, data portals and downloading, data cleaning, georeferencing, mapping with QGIS, aligning CURE research goals and learning objectives, equity and inclusion in research, scaffolding research activities and course design, and assessment in research. The CURE materials are published as open educational resources, freely available to all educators and interested individuals, and published on the QUBES BCEENET (Biological Collections in Ecology and Evolution Network) resources website.
The RAPID award also funded peer support for implementing faculty in the 2020-2021 academic year, while many institutions had shifted to online learning during the COVID pandemic. These CUREs helped to maintain access to undergraduate research experiences, helping to mitigate the negative impacts of the pandemic. Continued implementation of the CUREs beyond the shift back to in-person instruction has expanded the number of research experiences available at many institutions, including minority-serving institutions and community colleges. In the first two years of implementation, 1894 undergraduates have participated in these CUREs at 26 institutions, including 9 minority-serving institutions and 4 community colleges.
Information about the CURE educational materials supported by this award can be found on the BCEENET website (https://bceenetwork.org/) and on the QUBES BCEENET resources website (https://qubeshub.org/community/groups/bceenet). Through supporting CUREs using open-access, digitized natural history collections data, this work supports the development of a diverse 21st century STEM workforce.
Last Modified: 09/28/2022
Modified by: Janice L Krumm
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