North Central College

HEERF FOR NORTH CENTRAL COLLEGE INSTITUTIONAL FUNDS

HEERF FOR NORTH CENTRAL COLLEGE

CAREER: THE ROLE OF COMMON MYCORRHIZAL NETWORKS IN THE ESTABLISHMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE, AND PERSISTENCE OF AN INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES IN THE TALLGRASS PRAIRIE -THIS AWARD IS FUNDED IN WHOLE OR IN PART UNDER THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT OF 2021 (PUBLIC LAW 117-2). THIS WORK WILL STUDY HOW FUNGI AFFECT ONE OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN THE US - INVASIVE SPECIES. MOST PLANTS IN THE WORLD FEED SUGARS TO THE MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI LIVING IN THEIR ROOTS. IN RETURN, THE MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI FORAGE THE SOIL FOR MINERAL NUTRIENTS AND PROVIDE THEM TO THEIR PLANT HOSTS. WHILE IN THE SOIL, THE FUNGI OFTEN ENCOUNTER, AND COLONIZE A NEIGHBORING ROOT SYSTEM, CONNECTING THE PLANTS IN A MYCORRHIZAL NETWORK. THE WORK WILL INVESTIGATE HOW MYCORRHIZAL NETWORKS AFFECT INTERACTIONS BETWEEN CANADA THISTLE, OR ?THE WORST WEED IN THE US,? AND NATIVE PRAIRIE PLANTS. THE RESEARCH WILL ALSO EXAMINE IF MYCORRHIZAL NETWORKS CONNECTED TO CANADA THISTLE CHANGE THE MAKEUP OF THE SOIL FUNGAL COMMUNITY. FINALLY, THE WORK WILL INVESTIGATE IF THIS CHANGE ENABLES CANADA THISTLE TO PERSIST IN PRAIRIES LONG-TERM. THE RESEARCHER WILL TRAIN FIRST-GENERATION AND UNDER-REPRESENTED MINORITY COLLEGE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, ADDRESSING A NATIONAL NEED TO TRAIN A DIVERSE STEM WORKFORCE. AS PART OF THE CAREER ACTIVITIES, THE RESEARCHER WILL ALSO DEVELOP AND BROADLY DISSEMINATE PLANT SCIENCE COURSE MATERIALS FOR MULTIPLE LEVELS OF THE COLLEGE CURRICULUM. FINALLY, THE RESEARCHER WILL PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE TEACHERS FROM AREAS WITH HIGH POPULATIONS OF UNDERREPRESENTED STUDENTS. TEACHERS WILL LEARN HOW TO TRANSFORM PRESCRIPTIVE LAB EXERCISES INTO INQUIRY-BASED ACTIVITIES THAT TEACH THE NATURE OF SCIENCE. THESE ACTIVITIES WILL ASSIST THE RESEARCHER IN ATTAINING A CAREER THAT IS BALANCED BY BOTH RESEARCH AND TEACHING. THE PROPOSED WORK WILL INCORPORATE COMMON MYCORRHIZAL NETWORKS (CMNS) INTO EXISTING THEORIES AND HYPOTHESES ABOUT PLANT INVASIONS, COMMUNITY STRUCTURING, AND FUNCTIONING OF ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI IN NATURE. THE RESEARCH WILL EXAMINE THE MECHANISTIC ROLE OF CMNS IN FACILITATING INTRODUCED, EXOTIC SPECIES TO 1) ESTABLISH IN NEW HABITATS, 2) CHANGE THE BIOTIC ENVIRONMENT, AND 3) PERSIST WITHIN INTRODUCED AREAS. USING STABLE ISOTOPE TRACING, THE RESEARCHER WILL EXAMINE THE FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT INTERACTION IN ESTABLISHING INVASIVE SPECIES, COMPETITION WITH NATIVE PLANTS, BY EXAMINING THE MECHANISMS OF CARBON PROVISIONING AND NITROGEN TRANSFER WITHIN CMNS. IN A FIELD STUDY USING NEXT-GENERATION ILLUMINA MISEQ SEQUENCING, SHE WILL EXAMINE HOW INVASIVE SPECIES ALTER ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAL FUNGAL COMMUNITIES BY UTILIZING CMNS. FINALLY, THE PI WILL TEST THE ROLE OF CMNS IN ALLOWING CANADA THISTLE TO PERSIST THROUGH PLANT-SOIL FEEDBACKS. THE PROJECT WILL IMPROVE PLANT AND SCIENTIFIC LITERACY OF COLLEGE STUDENTS WITH COURSE-BASED RESEARCH EXPERIENCES WHOSE RESULTS SYNERGISTICALLY INFORM THE RESEARCH. ADDITIONALLY, THE PI WILL PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO K-12 SCIENCE TEACHERS ON INQUIRY-BASED TEACHING IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND BIOLOGY. 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.

LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE AND ADVANCEMENT PROGRAM IN STEM: PROMOTING TRANSFER STUDENT SUCCESS WITH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT -THIS PROJECT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE NATIONAL NEED FOR WELL-EDUCATED SCIENTISTS, MATHEMATICIANS, ENGINEERS, AND TECHNICIANS BY SUPPORTING THE RETENTION AND GRADUATION OF HIGH-ACHIEVING, LOW-INCOME STUDENTS WITH DEMONSTRATED FINANCIAL NEED AT NORTH CENTRAL COLLEGE (NC). NC IS A FOUR-YEAR PRIMARILY UNDERGRADUATE INSTITUTION LOCATED IN SUBURBAN CHICAGO, A REGION WITH HIGH NEED FOR GRADUATES IN STEM FIELDS. OVER ITS SIX-YEAR DURATION, THIS PROJECT WILL FUND SCHOLARSHIPS TO 15 UNIQUE FULL-TIME STUDENTS WHO ARE PURSUING BACHELOR?S DEGREES IN BIOLOGY, COMPUTER SCIENCE, ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES, MATHEMATICS, AND NEUROSCIENCE. TRANSFER STUDENTS WILL RECEIVE TWO-YEAR SCHOLARSHIPS. TAILORED SUPPORT INCLUDES A NOVEL SUMMER BRIDGE PROGRAM, STRENGTHS-BASED LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, FACULTY AND PEER MENTORSHIP, AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING PAID SUMMER RESEARCH EXPERIENCES AND INTERNSHIPS. THIS PROJECT WILL GENERATE NEW KNOWLEDGE BY EXPLORING HOW STRENGTHS-BASED LEADERSHIP PROGRAMMING IMPACTS RETENTION AND GRADUATION RATES AS WELL AS CAREER READINESS. THE OVERALL GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO INCREASE STEM DEGREE COMPLETION OF LOW-INCOME, HIGH-ACHIEVING UNDERGRADUATES WITH DEMONSTRATED FINANCIAL NEED. SPECIFIC PROJECT OBJECTIVES INCLUDE IMPROVING RECRUITMENT OF STEM TRANSFER STUDENTS, AS WELL AS THE FOLLOWING: 1) IMPROVING LEADERSHIP, RESILIENCE, AND SELF-EFFICACY; 2) IMPROVING RETENTION AND GRADUATION RATES; AND 3) IMPROVING STEM CAREER OR GRADUATE SCHOOL READINESS. A STRENGTHS-BASED APPROACH, INDIVIDUALIZED FOR EACH SCHOLAR'S PREPARATION AND CAREER ASPIRATIONS, WILL RECOGNIZE AND BUILD UPON THEIR COGNITIVE AND NON-COGNITIVE ABILITIES. ALTHOUGH STRENGTHS-BASED LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS ARE KNOWN TO HELP FIRST-TIME-IN-COLLEGE STUDENTS ADAPT TO CHANGE BY FOSTERING ACADEMIC, SOCIAL, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL THRIVING, FEW STUDIES EXPLORE THE OUTCOMES OF STRENGTHS-BASED LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT ON TRANSFER STUDENTS. THIS PROJECT HELPS ADDRESS THAT GAP THROUGH AN INTENTIONAL PROVISION OF EXPERIENCES FOR TRANSFER STUDENTS TO INCREASE THEIR KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND CAPACITY IN LEADERSHIP. THE PROJECT WILL USE PROGRAM EVALUATION DATA, IN PARTICULAR FOCUS GROUPS AND PRE/POST SURVEYS, TO DEVELOP UNDERSTANDING ABOUT THREE AREAS OF INTEREST. FIRST IS TO PROBE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DELIVERED INTERVENTIONS AND CHANGES IN SPECIFIC COMPONENTS OF TRANSFER STUDENT CAPITAL (E.G., RESILIENCE, SELF-EFFICACY, AND LEADERSHIP SKILLS). SECOND IS TO INVESTIGATE WHICH SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF PROGRAMMING MOST EFFECTIVELY MEET THE NEEDS OF DIFFERING STUDENT IDENTITIES (I.E., ACADEMIC HISTORIES, STEM MAJOR, POST-GRADUATION ASPIRATIONS). THIRD IS TO EXAMINE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SUCCESS OUTCOMES (RETENTION, GRADUATION, AND POST-GRADUATION STEM PLACEMENT) AND IMPROVEMENT OF LEADERSHIP SKILLS. THE PROJECT TEAM WILL DISSEMINATE OUTCOMES COLLEGE-WIDE, LOCALLY, AND NATIONALLY IN THE FORM OF FORMAL REPORTS, PEER-REVIEWED PAPERS, AND CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS. THIS PROJECT IS FUNDED BY NSF?S SCHOLARSHIPS IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS PROGRAM, WHICH SEEKS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF LOW-INCOME ACADEMICALLY TALENTED STUDENTS WITH DEMONSTRATED FINANCIAL NEED WHO EARN DEGREES IN STEM FIELDS. IT ALSO AIMS TO IMPROVE THE EDUCATION OF FUTURE STEM WORKERS, AND TO GENERATE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ACADEMIC SUCCESS, RETENTION, TRANSFER, GRADUATION, AND ACADEMIC/CAREER PATHWAYS OF LOW-INCOME STUDENTS. 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.

COMMITMENT TO RECRUIT, EDUCATE, AND ASSIST TEACHERS IN EQUITY (CREATE) -THE COMMITMENT TO RECRUIT, EDUCATE, AND ASSIST TEACHERS IN EQUITY (CREATE) PROJECT AIMS TO SERVE THE NATIONAL NEED OF PREPARING HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHERS TO MEET THE PERSISTENT PROBLEM OF A SHORTAGE OF STEM TEACHERS NATIONALLY, PARTICULARLY TEACHERS FROM UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITY GROUPS PREPARED TO MEET THE NEEDS IN HIGH-NEED SCHOOL DISTRICTS, SPECIFICALLY IN HIGHLY DIVERSE SECONDARY CLASSROOMS. NORTH CENTRAL COLLEGE (NC) WILL HELP AMELIORATE THIS PROBLEM BY PARTNERING WITH BOTH A TWO-YEAR HISPANIC SERVING INSTITUTION (HSI) TO LEVERAGE A TRANSFER PIPELINE AND A HIGHLY DIVERSE HIGH SCHOOL TO RECRUIT PROSPECTIVE STEM TEACHER CANDIDATES. BY THE END OF THEIR TIME AT NC, THESE FUTURE TEACHERS WILL BE TRAINED IN DATA-SUPPORTED, CULTURALLY SUSTAINING STEM PEDAGOGY WHILE EARNING BACHELOR'S DEGREES IN STEM AND SECONDARY EDUCATION. THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES OF THIS PROJECT ARE TO RECRUIT AND PREPARE 20 DIVERSE STEM TEACHERS AND SUPPORT THEM THROUGH THEIR INDUCTION YEARS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF HIGHLY DIVERSE SCHOOLS AND INFLUENCE MORE UNDERREPRESENTED STUDENTS TO PURSUE STEM TEACHING. THIS PROJECT IS OF INTEREST TO THE PUBLIC IN THAT IT WILL BE DEMONSTRATIVE OF HOW COMMUNITIES MAY ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM THROUGH RECRUITING STEM TEACHERS FROM WITHIN, THROUGH CROSS-INSTITUTION PARTNERSHIPS. THIS PROJECT AT NORTH CENTRAL COLLEGE INCLUDES PARTNERSHIPS WITH HIGH-NEED SCHOOL DISTRICT U-46 (ELGIN) AND ELGIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE, AN HSI. CREATE WILL PREPARE 20 STEM TEACHERS IN BIOLOGY, CHEMISTRY, PHYSICS, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE, AND MATHEMATICS OVER THE FIVE-YEAR PROJECT. EACH SCHOLAR WILL RECEIVE THREE YEARS OF INDUCTION SUPPORT IN THE FIELD; THEREFORE, THE PROJECT WILL PROVIDE SERVICES FOR EIGHT TOTAL YEARS. PROJECT GOALS ARE TO: (1) RECRUIT AND AWARD SCHOLARSHIPS TO 20 STUDENTS IN FOUR COHORTS; 25% OF SCHOLARS WILL BE COMMUNITY COLLEGE TRANSFER STUDENTS. (2) EDUCATE TEACHER CANDIDATES IN RESEARCH-BASED EQUITABLE TEACHING PRACTICES AND STRONG CONTENT PEDAGOGY. (3) PLACE, SUPPORT, AND RETAIN 75% OF SCHOLAR ALUMNI DURING THEIR FOUR-YEAR HIGH-NEED SCHOOL TEACHING INDUCTION SERVICE COMMITMENT. THE PROJECT'S THEORETICAL BASIS IS THAT THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION AND FOSTERING OF STEM TEACHER RECRUITMENT FROM WITHIN THE COMMUNITY ALONG WITH CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE PREPARATION, MORE PERSONS FROM UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS IN STEM WILL BE ATTRACTED TO STEM HIGH SCHOOL TEACHING, GAIN EXPERTISE IN CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE STEM PEDAGOGY, AND PERSIST AS STEM EDUCATORS. THE PROJECT EVALUATION WILL MEASURE THE IMPACT OF HIGH-IMPACT PRACTICES ON STUDENTS IN STEM TEACHING PATHWAYS. THE PROJECT'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT INCLUDES A CONTRIBUTION TO THE KNOWLEDGE BASE ON WHICH PROJECT ASPECTS YIELD CONTINUED INTEGRATION OF CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE TEACHING AND TEACHER RETENTION. THE COHORT AND MENTORSHIP MODELS FROM THE SCHOLARS' FIRST YEARS OF TEACHING MAY CONTRIBUTE TO THE KNOWLEDGE BASE OF HOW THESE ACTIVITIES INFLUENCE STEM TEACHER PERSISTENCE. THIS TRACK 1: SCHOLARSHIPS AND STIPENDS PROJECT IS SUPPORTED THROUGH THE ROBERT NOYCE TEACHER SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM (NOYCE). THE NOYCE PROGRAM SUPPORTS TALENTED STEM UNDERGRADUATE MAJORS AND PROFESSIONALS TO BECOME EFFECTIVE K-12 STEM TEACHERS AND EXPERIENCED, EXEMPLARY K-12 TEACHERS TO BECOME STEM MASTER TEACHERS IN HIGH-NEED SCHOOL DISTRICTS. IT ALSO SUPPORTS RESEARCH ON THE EFFECTIVENESS AND RETENTION OF K-12 STEM TEACHERS IN HIGH-NEED SCHOOL DISTRICTS. 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.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

CELLULAR AND CIRCUIT ADAPTATIONS CONTRIBUTING TO THE INCUBATION OF OXYCODONE CRAVING - PROJECT SUMMARY RECENTLY, OPIOID USE AND DEPENDENCE HAS INCREASED TO EPIDEMIC LEVELS. A PROMINENT CONTRIBUTOR TO THIS TREND IS OXYCODONE, (OXY), A SEMISYNTHETIC OPIOID ANALGESIC AND MOST WIDELY-PRESCRIBED OPIOID PAINKILLER. A MAJOR HURDLE IN ADDICTION TREATMENT, INCLUDING FOR OPIOID ADDICTS, IS A LONG-LASTING VULNERABILITY TO RELAPSE. EVIDENCE INDICATES THAT THE DRUGS OF ABUSE PRODUCE LONG-LASTING MALADAPTIVE PLASTICITY IN NUCLEUS ACCUMBENS (NAC) SYNAPTIC FUNCTION THAT UNDERLIE COMPULSIVE DRUG SEEKING. SUCH PLASTICITY ACCOUNTS FOR THE FACT THAT CUE-INDUCED CRAVING PROGRESSIVELY INTENSIFIES (‘INCUBATES’) OVER WEEKS/MONTHS OF FORCED ABSTINENCE OR WITHDRAWAL IN BOTH HUMANS AND ANIMALS, FOR MANY DRUG CLASSES. DURING WITHDRAWAL FROM EXTENDED-ACCESS OXY SELF-ADMINISTRATION, RATS EXHIBIT A PROGRESSIVE INTENSIFICATION (INCUBATION) OF CUE-INDUCED OXY CRAVING THAT IS ACCOMPANIED BY ADAPTATIONS IN IN AMPA RECEPTOR SUBUNIT COMPOSITION IN THE NAC, SIMILAR TO OTHER DRUGS. A KEY CHALLENGE IS HOW TO REVERSE THIS PLASTICITY IN A TRANSLATIONALLY-RELEVANT MANNER. GROWING EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT SUBANESTHETIC DOSES OF THE GLUTAMATE-NMDA RECEPTOR ANTAGONIST KETAMINE (KET) MAY BE A POTENTIAL LONG-LASTING TREATMENT OPTION FOR SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS. OUR PRELIMINARY DATA SHOW SYSTEMIC SUBANESTHETIC KET, GIVEN DAILY DURING WITHDRAWAL FROM OXY SELF-ADMINISTRATION IN RATS, REDUCES INCUBATION IN A SEEKING TEST ONE DAY AFTER THE LAST KET INJECTION. THERE ARE 3 OBJECTIVES OF THIS PROPOSAL: (1) CHARACTERIZE THE TIME COURSE OF KET’S ABILITY TO REDUCE OXY INCUBATION, (2) DETERMINE AN EFFECTIVE DOSING REGIMEN AND TIMEPOINT FOR THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION, AND (3) TEST POTENTIAL MECHANISMS FOR KET’S EFFECT. THE CENTRAL HYPOTHESIS IS THAT ALTERED ACTIVITY AND/OR ALTERED PROTEIN TRANSLATION IN THE REWARD CIRCUITRY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR OXY INCUBATION AND THAT KET MAY BE EXERTING ITS EFFECTS BY NORMALIZING PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES. AIM 1 WILL DETERMINE THE DURATION OF INCUBATION REDUCTION BY REPEATED KET AND TEST A ROLE FOR PROJECTION-SPECIFIC CHANGES IN GLUTAMATE AFFERENTS TO THE NAC. CFOS (AN INDIRECT MARKER OF NEURAL ACTIVITY) IMMUNOHISTOCHEMISTRY WILL BE COMBINED WITH RETRO-AAV VIRAL TRACING TO EXAMINE INPUT-SPECIFIC ACTIVITY IN KEY REGIONS OF THE REWARD CIRCUITRY THAT PROJECT TO THE NAC: ORBITOFRONTAL CORTEX, BASOLATERAL AMYGDALA, AND VENTRAL SUBICULUM OF THE HIPPOCAMPUS. ACTIVITY WILL BE ASSESSED AT 4 POINTS AFTER DISCONTINUING OXY SELF-ADMINISTRATION: WITHDRAWAL DAY 1 (WD1), BEFORE ADAPTATIONS HAVE OCCURRED, WD15, WHEN CRAVING HAS “INCUBATED”, OR AT WD30 OR WD45, TO ASSESS THE PERSISTENCE OF INCUBATION. THE EFFECTS OF DAILY SUBANESTHETIC KET WILL ALSO BE EXAMINED TO DETERMINE THE DURATION OF ITS EFFECTS. AIM 2 WILL CHARACTERIZE PROTEIN SYNTHESIS DURING OXY INCUBATION. PUROMYCIN LABELING WILL BE USED TO MEASURE PROTEIN TRANSLATION OF THE KEY AMPA RECEPTOR SUBUNITS GLUA1 AND GLUA2 IN NAC TISSUE ON WD1 AND WD15. DAILY KET’S IMPACT ON AMPAR TRANSLATION WILL ALSO BE EXAMINED. AIM 3 WILL EXAMINE IF A SINGLE DOSE OF KET CAN PREVENT OR REVERSE OXY INCUBATION. ONE KET INJECTION WILL BE GIVEN EITHER ON WD1 OR WD14, AND CRAVING WILL BE MEASURED ON WD15. THESE STUDIES CHARACTERIZE HOW EXCITATORY TRANSMISSION IN THE NAC CONTRIBUTES TO OXY INCUBATION, AND TEST KET’S VIABILITY IN RELAPSE-PREVENTION.

A CAMPUS-COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP TO PREVENT AND RESPOND TO GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

REPAIR OF ISOASPARTYL DAMAGE TO PROTEINS: IN VIVO ROLES IN AGING E. COLI

UNDERGRADUATE INTERNATIONAL STUDIES AND FOREIGN LANGUAGE

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: REDDDOT PHASE 1: PLANNING GRANT: AI SUMMER INSTITUTE ON COMMUNITIES -THIS PROJECT FUNDS AN AI SUMMER INSTITUTE ON COMMUNITIES (AISIC), A COLLABORATION BETWEEN NEW YORK UNIVERSITY AND NORTH CENTRAL COLLEGE. THIS PROJECT ADDRESSES KEY CHALLENGES FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS ENTERING THE EMERGING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) WORKFORCE IN INDUSTRY, GOVERNMENT, OR THE NONPROFIT SECTOR. THESE CHALLENGES INCLUDE BROADENING PARTICIPATION IN TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION, IDENTIFYING AND PREVENTING POTENTIAL TECHNOLOGY HARMS IN/ON UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES, MEANINGFULLY AND EQUITABLY ENGAGING UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES IN DEVELOPING NEW TECHNOLOGIES, AND DEVELOPING NEW METHODOLOGIES FOR TRANSLATING LOCAL KNOWLEDGE FOR THE PURPOSES OF EQUITABLE TECHNOLOGY DESIGN AND DEPLOYMENT. THROUGH IN-PERSON WORKSHOPS, EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING ACTIVITIES, COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS, AND ENGAGEMENT WITH INDUSTRY AND COMMUNITY LEADERS, AISIC WILL EQUIP UNDERGRADUATES ENTERING THE AI WORKFORCE WITH CRITICAL LITERACIES IN BOTH THE SOCIAL AND TECHNICAL DIMENSIONS OF AI AND RELATED TECHNOLOGIES SO THEY ARE ABLE TO DEVELOP STRATEGIES FOR THE RESPONSIBLE DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT AND DEPLOYMENT OF TECHNOLOGY. THROUGH AISIC, THE PROJECT AIMS TO CREATE A DYNAMIC ENVIRONMENT WHERE STUDENTS CAN GAIN THE NECESSARY SKILLS TO LEAD WITH EMPATHY, ETHICS, AND EQUITY IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF AI TECHNOLOGIES, ENSURING THESE ADVANCEMENTS CONTRIBUTE POSITIVELY TO ALL SEGMENTS OF SOCIETY, ESPECIALLY THOSE HISTORICALLY AND DISPROPORTIONATELY HARMED BY COMPUTING TECHNOLOGIES. A YEAR-LONG PLANNING PROCESS FOR THE AISIC IS CRITICAL TO ENSURE ITS SUCCESS, RELEVANCE, AND IMPACT. THE PROJECT TEAM WILL CONDUCT THE NECESSARY PLANNING TO LAUNCH AISIC, WHICH AT FULL SCALE WILL BE A SIX-WEEK, RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM AT NORTH CENTRAL COLLEGE (NAPERVILLE, ILLINOIS). DURING THE PLANNING PHASE, THE PROJECT WILL ASSESS NEEDS, IDENTIFY STAKEHOLDERS, DEVELOP KEY AISIC PARTNERS, BUILD CURRICULUM, ADDRESS LOGISTICAL AND INFRASTRUCTURAL NEEDS, DEVELOP RECRUITMENT AND MARKETING MATERIALS FOR SELECTING A DIVERSE PARTICIPANT POOL, AND EXECUTE A LIMITED PILOT. THE PILOT WILL ENTAIL LAUNCHING A SET OF EXEMPLARY WORKSHOPS, SOLICITING PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK VIA PRE- AND POST-TEST SURVEYS AND FOCUS GROUPS. FINDINGS FROM THE PILOT WILL BE USED TO RESHAPE RELEVANT PROGRAM COMPONENTS IN PREPARATION FOR FULL IMPLEMENTATION. 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.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

BUILDING CAPACITY AND COLLABORATIONS TO PREPARE EQUITY-MINDED STEM TEACHERS

NORTH CENTRAL COLLEGE'S STARTALK CHINESE IMMERSION EXPERIENCE

REWIRING NEUROSCIENCE EDUCATION: EMERGING TRENDS AND TECHNOLOGIES -THIS PROJECT AIMS TO SERVE THE NATIONAL INTEREST BY FACILITATING CONFERENCE SESSIONS FOR EDUCATORS ON HOW TO INCORPORATE CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGIES INTO NEUROSCIENCE EDUCATION, AND, IN TURN, PREPARE STUDENTS FOR THE DYNAMIC STEM WORKFORCE. THE ?FACULTY FOR UNDERGRADUATE NEUROSCIENCE? IS A NEUROSCIENTIST-RUN GROUP OF EDUCATORS AND SCIENTISTS DEDICATED TO FOSTERING UNDERGRADUATE-LEVEL NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION. THE GROUP HAS BEEN THE PRIMARY DRIVER OF NEUROSCIENCE CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT IN THE U.S. FOR THE PAST 35 YEARS, CONVENING NATIONAL WORKSHOPS TO DISCUSS PEDAGOGICAL INNOVATIONS IN NEUROSCIENCE AND BEYOND. THE 2026 WORKSHOP ENTITLED ?REWIRING NEUROSCIENCE EDUCATION: ANALYZING EMERGING TRENDS AND TECHNOLOGIES? WILL PROMOTE CROSS-DISCIPLINARY DIALOGUE AND EXPLORE HOW EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES, ESPECIALLY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI), CAN MODERNIZE NEUROSCIENCE EDUCATION. ATTENDEES WILL LEAVE WITH NEW, DIRECTLY IMPLEMENTABLE IDEAS ABOUT HOW TO (A) STIMULATE STUDENTS? APPETITE FOR DISCOVERY, (B) TRANSLATE FINDINGS INTO CONCRETE SOLUTIONS, AND (C) EXPAND PARTICIPATION IN THEIR CLASSROOMS AND LABORATORIES, STRENGTHENING THE NEXT GENERATION OF SCIENTISTS. THIS CONFERENCE PROJECT INCLUDES DIRECT SUPPORT FOR ATTENDEES, WORKSHOP SESSIONS, AND PUBLISHED PROCEEDINGS OF THE CONFERENCE. COLLECTIVELY, THESE WILL INFORM AND SHAPE THE FUTURE OF UNDERGRADUATE NEUROSCIENCE EDUCATION AND PREPARE THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS FOR THE STEM WORKFORCE. THE GOAL OF THE WORKSHOP IS TO TEACH EDUCATORS ABOUT CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGIES AND HOW TO INCORPORATE THEM INTO THE NEUROSCIENCE CURRICULUM IN ORDER TO BETTER PREPARE STUDENTS FOR THE STEM WORKFORCE. THE ORGANIZATION HAS A LONGSTANDING TRADITION OF IMPACTFUL WORKSHOPS THAT ALLOW EDUCATORS TO GENERATE SOLUTIONS TO THESE CHALLENGES IN A COLLABORATIVE WORKSHOP SETTING. THE 2026 WORKSHOP WILL ADDRESS THE PRESSING NEED FOR INCORPORATING EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES SUCH AS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) AND BIG DATA INTO NEUROSCIENCE EDUCATION WHILE REMAINING GROUNDED IN EVIDENCE-BASED PEDAGOGY THAT IS ACCESSIBLE TO ALL INTERESTED EDUCATORS. THIS WORKSHOP?S FOCUS WILL PROVIDE A VENUE TO EXPLORE CURRENT CHALLENGES AND THE TRANSFORMATIVE CAPABILITIES OF THESE TECHNOLOGIES IN NEUROSCIENCE EDUCATION, SO THAT EDUCATORS WILL BE EQUIPPED WITH THE MOST CURRENT UNDERSTANDING, SKILLS, AND TOOLS TO ENSURE THAT STUDENTS ACROSS THE U.S. ARE COMPETITIVE IN THE WORKFORCE. THE WORKSHOP WILL FOSTER CROSS-DISCIPLINARY DIALOGUE TO EXPLORE HOW INTEGRATING EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES CAN EXPAND NEUROSCIENCE EDUCATION. THIS WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED BY RECRUITING TWO NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED KEYNOTE PRESENTERS TO SPEAK ABOUT AI AND BIG DATA, ENSURING BROAD ACCESS TO THE WORKSHOP BY PROVIDING FUNDS FOR EDUCATORS WHO WOULD OTHERWISE BE UNABLE TO ATTEND, AND PROVIDING OPEN ACCESS TO PUBLISHED PROCEEDINGS OF THE WORKSHOP. ATTENDEES WILL LEAVE THE WORKSHOP WITH THE RESOURCES, CONTENT KNOWLEDGE, AND PEDAGOGICAL STRATEGIES THAT DIRECTLY ADDRESS THE INTELLECTUAL CHALLENGES OF EDUCATING THE NEXT GENERATION OF NEUROSCIENTISTS IN AN ERA OF RAPID TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE TO BETTER PREPARE STUDENTS FOR THE STEM WORKFORCE. THE NSF IUSE:EDU PROGRAM SUPPORTS CONFERENCE PROJECTS TO IMPROVE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF STEM EDUCATION ACROSS INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND DISCIPLINARY COMMUNITIES. 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.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

BUILDING COMMUNITIES OF CARE THROUGH AN INTERDISCIPLINARY HEALTH HUMANITIES MINOR [NORTH CENTRAL COLLEGE IN NAPERVILLE, IL, SEEKS THE SUPPORT OF THE NEH?S HUMANITIES CONNECTIONS PLANNING GRANT PROGRAM TO FUND OUR PROJECT, "BUILDING COMMUNITIES OF CARE THROUGH AN INTERDISCIPLINARY HEALTH HUMANITIES MINOR." THIS PROJECT IS DESIGNED TO BRIDGE WORK RELEVANT TO THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH HUMANITIES ACROSS OUR INSTITUTION BY FUNDING AN INNOVATIVE PLANNING INITIATIVE AIMED AT CRAFTING A NEW UNDERGRADUATE HEALTH HUMANITIES MINOR.]

TO SUPPORT VOCAL JAZZ AND MUSICAL THEATER SUMMER CAMPS FOR YOUTH AND ADULT MUSICIANS OF VARYING SKILL LEVELS.

TO SUPPORT CROSS-DISCIPLINARY EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH INVOLVING PERFORMANCES BY ENSEMBLE GALILEI AND FLAMENCO VIVO.