Carroll University Inc

HIGHER EDUCATION EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND - INSTITUTION PORTION

CARES ACT: HIGHER EDUCATION EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND JOHN CARROLL UNIVERSITY INSTITUTIONAL PORTION

HIGHER EDUCATION EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND - STUDENT PORTION

CARES ACT: HIGHER EDUCATION EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND JOHN CARROLL UNIVERSITY STUDENT PORTION

INNOVATIVE SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORTS FOR STEM PRE-PROFESSIONALS: IDENTITY, RESEARCH, AND EDUCATION -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 JOHN CARROLL UNIVERSITY, A JESUIT INSTITUTION. OVER ITS 6-YEAR DURATION, THIS PROJECT WILL FUND SCHOLARSHIPS OF UP TO $15,000 PER YEAR FOR UP TO 4 YEARS TO 33-36 UNIQUE FULL-TIME, FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS WHO ARE PURSUING BACHELOR?S DEGREES IN BIOLOGY, CHEMISTRY, COMPUTER SCIENCE, DATA SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS, PHYSICS, AND/OR PSYCHOLOGY. THIS PROJECT AIMS TO INCREASE PERSISTENCE AND SUCCESS IN STEM MAJORS BY OFFERING STUDENTS CONCRETE OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD A SENSE OF STEM IDENTITY AND SELF-EFFICACY, PARTICULARLY EARLY IN THEIR COLLEGE CAREERS. SCHOLARS WILL RECEIVE INTENSIVE ADVISING AND SUPPORTS IN ADDITION TO SCHOLARSHIP FUNDING TO SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCE THEIR ABILITY TO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE STEM DEGREES AND FILL CRITICAL GAPS IN THE REGIONAL WORKFORCE. SUPPORTS INCLUDE PARTICIPATION IN A SUMMER BRIDGE PROGRAM, LIVING IN A STEM LIVING-LEARNING COMMUNITY (LLC), RESEARCH AND INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, AND COURSEWORK DESIGNED TO AUGMENT THE TRANSITION TO THE STEM WORKFORCE. EMERGING REGIONAL MARKETS IN BIOTECHNOLOGY, HEALTHCARE, AND OTHER SCIENCE-BASED INDUSTRIES FUEL DEMAND FOR THE ACADEMICALLY-TALENTED STUDENTS THIS PROJECT WILL RECRUIT, SUPPORT, EDUCATE, AND GRADUATE AT HIGH RATES. THE OVERALL GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO INCREASE STEM DEGREE COMPLETION OF LOW-INCOME, HIGH-ACHIEVING UNDERGRADUATES WITH DEMONSTRATED FINANCIAL NEED. TOWARD THIS END THE PROJECT TEAM WILL PURSUE THREE SPECIFIC AIMS. FIRST IS TO INCREASE THE GPAS OF FIRST-YEAR SCHOLARS TO BE AT LEAST EQUIVALENT TO NON-LOW-INCOME PEERS, AND ACHIEVE PERSISTENCE AND GRADUATION RATES AT LEAST EQUIVALENT TO INSTITUTIONAL AVERAGES. SECOND IS TO BUILD ON AND ADAPT EVIDENCE-BASED CURRICULAR AND CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES TO BEST SUPPORT SCHOLARS BASED ON AN EARLIER TRACK 1 PROJECT (DUE #1741814). THIRD, AND FINALLY, IS TO ENCOURAGE AN INSTITUTIONAL CULTURE SHIFT BY INCREASING KNOWLEDGE AND SENSITIVITY ABOUT ISSUES AFFECTING LOW-INCOME STUDENTS AMONG STEM FACULTY. INTERVENTIONS AND SUPPORTS FOR SCHOLARS WILL INCLUDE A TWO-WEEK SUMMER BRIDGE PROGRAM FOR ENTERING FIRST-YEAR SCHOLARS, LIVING IN A STEM LIVING-LEARNING COMMUNITY FOR UP TO TWO YEARS; OFFERING THREE COURSES ON RESEARCH, STEM WORKFORCE, AND STEM ENTREPRENEURSHIP; RESEARCH AND INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES; AND STRUCTURED COHORT ADVISING THROUGHOUT THEIR FOUR YEARS. THIS PROJECT WILL EXAMINE THE EFFECT OF MULTIPLE INTERVENTIONS AIMED AT SUPPORTING STEM STUDENTS AND FOSTERING THEIR SENSE OF IDENTITY, BELONGING, AND SELF-EFFICACY, WHICH ARE PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS KNOWN TO PROMOTE PERSISTENCE IN STEM. THE PROJECT ALSO WILL ADVANCE UNDERSTANDING OF THE EFFECT OF ONE VERSUS TWO YEARS OF LIVING IN A STEM LLC ON STUDY HABITS, PERSISTENCE TO DEGREE COMPLETION, AND SENSE OF BELONGING. STEM FACULTY WILL PARTICIPATE IN WORKSHOPS ON INCLUSIVE PEDAGOGY IN THE FIRST THREE YEARS OF THE PROJECT TO CULTIVATE CULTURAL AWARENESS AND INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE SURROUNDING ISSUES AFFECTING LOW-INCOME STUDENTS. RESULTS WILL BE SHARED ON-CAMPUS AND AT RELEVANT PROFESSIONAL MEETINGS AND PUBLISHED IN PEER-REVIEWED EDUCATION JOURNALS FOR THE GREATER STEM EDUCATION COMMUNITY. 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.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

HEALTH CAREERS OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM

STRENGTHENING INSTITUTIONS

STRUCTURE AND BINDING STUDIES OF THE BI-FUNCTIONAL CHLAMYDIA TRACHOMATIS PROTEIN

FIRST IN THE WORLD - DEVELOPMENT

PROMOTING UNDERGRADUATE STEM RETENTION THROUGH SELF-EFFICACY

ARRA - TRAINING IN PRIMARY CARE MEDICINE AND DENTISTRY: PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT TRAINING IN PRIMARY CARE

ASCEND: ADVANCING STEM CAREERS BY EMPOWERING NETWORK DEVELOPMENT

PRIMARY CARE TRAINING AND ENHANCEMENT

NURSING WORKFORCE DIVERSITY

NURSING WORKFORCE DIVERSITY

MOLDING IDENTITY & RAISING RETENTION THROUGH OPPORTUNITIES FOR REFLECTION IN STEM (MIRRORS)

CARROLL UNIVERSITY PREVENTION EDUCATION AND SUPPORT SERVICES FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT AND INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE

PRIMARY CARE TRAINING AND ENHANCEMENT

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WORKFORCE EDUCATION AND TRAINING (BHWET) PROGRAM

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WORKFORCE EDUCATION AND TRAINING (BHWET) PROGRAM

CARROLL UNIVERSITY STEP INITIATIVE - ENGINEERING IN WAUKESHA COUNTY

HEALTH CAREERS OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM

RUI: BIODIVERSITY OF THE TERRESTRIAL CYANOBACTERIA OF THE ATACAMA DESERT, CHILE

A BIG DATA APPROACH TOWARD THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW QUANTITATIVE AUTISM SEVERITY SCORES FROM EXISTING INSTRUMENTS - ABSTRACT AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD) SYMPTOM SCORES FROM EXISTING MEASURES ARE INFLUENCED BY A RANGE OF FACTORS INCLUDING AGE, SEX, COGNITIVE ABILITY, LANGUAGE LEVEL, CO-OCCURRING PSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOMS AND BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS. INADEQUATE ADJUSTMENT OF ASSESSMENT SCORES CAN LEAD TO REDUCED SPECIFICITY AND MIS-ESTIMATION OF AUTISM SEVERITY. ADJUSTMENT FOR THESE FACTORS COULD ENHANCE RESEARCH AND CLINICAL PRACTICE, INCLUDING MORE ACCURATE ESTIMATION OF TRUE RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER VARIABLES, INCLUDING ETIOLOGIC FACTORS, AND BETTER CASE IDENTIFICATION, PARTICULARLY FOR COMPLEX CASES. IN ADDITION, THE MAJORITY OF CURRENTLY AVAILABLE ASD MEASURES HAVE REDUCED ABILITY TO TRACK CHANGE AND RESPONSE TO INTERVENTIONS AND ARE NOT LINKED TO ADAPTIVE FUNCTIONING, WHICH IS BEING INCREASINGLY RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF THE MOST RELEVANT TO LONG TERM OUTCOMES IN ASD. CONSIDERING THESE NOTED LIMITATIONS, ENHANCING THE PERFORMANCE OF CURRENT MEASURES COULD ADVANCE CLINICAL PRACTICE AND FUTURE RESEARCH. THE PROPOSED PROJECT WILL FOCUS ON THE SOCIAL RESPONSIVENESS SCALE (SRS-2), THE MOST WIDELY USED QUANTITATIVE SYMPTOM QUESTIONNAIRE, AND THE AUTISM DIAGNOSTIC OBSERVATION SCHEDULE–SECOND EDITION (ADOS- 2), THE GOLD-STANDARD CLINICIAN OBSERVATION MEASURE. THE INVESTIGATION WILL UTILIZE EXISTING MULTIPLE HIGH-QUALITY LARGE DATA SETS AND APPLY MODERN PSYCHOMETRIC APPROACHES IN ORDER TO CREATE NEW CONTINUOUS-RANGE, REGRESSION-ADJUSTED, NORMATIVE SRS-2 AND ADOS-2 SCORES THAT CAN SUPPLEMENT EXISTING SCORES. THESE SCORES WILL HAVE BETTER SPECIFICITY FOR AUTISM SYMPTOM DOMAINS, MORE DIRECT LINKS TO ADAPTIVE FUNCTION AND, WHEN USED ALONE OR IN CONJUNCTION WITH EXISTING SCORES, MAY YIELD GREATER VALIDITY FOR ASD DIAGNOSIS IN COMPLEX, HIGHLY COMORBID CASES (SPECIFIC AIMS 1 AND 2). BY VIRTUE OF HAVING DYNAMIC RANGE AND BEING MORE SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO CORE ASD SYMPTOM DOMAINS, NEWLY CREATED SRS-2 AND ADOS-2 SCORES COULD HAVE GREATER UTILITY IN LONGITUDINAL APPLICATIONS, INCLUDING TREATMENT STUDIES AND CLINICAL MONITORING OF INTERVENTION RESPONSE (SPECIFIC AIM 3). KNOWLEDGE GAINED FROM THIS INNOVATIVE SECONDARY DATA ANALYSIS WILL THEN BE USED TO DEVELOP AND PILOT SOFTWARE-IMPLEMENTED SCORING ALGORITHMS TO ACCOUNT FOR RELEVANT DEMOGRAPHIC, COGNITIVE AND CLINICAL FACTORS (SPECIFIC AIM 4). IF SUCCESSFUL, THIS APPROACH WILL PROVIDE A LOW-COST ENHANCEMENT TO EXISTING, WIDELY-USED MEASURES THAT CAN BE RAPIDLY DISSEMINATED TO CLINICIANS AND SCIENTISTS FOR IMPROVING PRACTICE AND RESEARCH. THE PROPOSED AREA PROJECT WILL ALSO INCLUDE THREE COHORTS OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS TO BUILD A CROSS-DEPARTMENTAL AND CROSS-INSTITUTIONAL MENTAL HEALTH DATA SCIENCE TRAINING EXPERIENCE THAT CAN BE SUSTAINED AS A FUTURE UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH TRACK AND AS AN INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH COLLABORATION FOCUSED ON AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER. STUDENTS WILL BE INVOLVED IN ALL ASPECTS OF THE PROJECT FROM DATABASE BUILDING TO DISSEMINATION AND THE PROJECT WILL BUILD KEY UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE AS WELL AS AUGMENT TRAINING FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF MENTAL HEALTH DATA SCIENTISTS.

INFLUENCE OF A SUPERVISED POSTPARTUM EXERCISE PROGRAM ON MATERNAL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVELS AND MUSCULOSKELETAL HEALTH - ABSTRACT PHYSICAL ACTIVITY (PA)/EXERCISE IS CRUCIAL FOR MATERNAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING BUT SEVERAL BARRIERS TO PA/EXERCISE PARTICIPATION EXIST IN THE POSTPARTUM PERIOD. MUSCULOSKELETAL IMPAIRMENTS—SUCH AS WEAKNESS, INCREASED FATIGABILITY, PELVIC FLOOR DYSFUNCTION (E.G., INCONTINENCE, PELVIC ORGAN PROLAPSE, ETC.), AND PAIN—ARE COMMON IN THE POSTPARTUM PERIOD. WHILE THESE IMPAIRMENTS PROVIDE STRONG RATIONALE FOR PARTICIPATION IN PA/EXERCISE, THEY CAN ALSO ACT AS BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION. SEVERAL PSYCHOSOCIAL BARRIERS ALSO EXIST, INCLUDING FEAR OF MOVEMENT AND LACK OF CHILDCARE. DESPITE THE IMPORTANCE OF PA/EXERCISE FOR HEALTH AND WELLNESS, AND THE DOCUMENTED MUSCULOSKELETAL IMPAIRMENTS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE POSTPARTUM PERIOD, ASSESSMENT OF NEUROMUSCULAR FUNCTION AND EDUCATION ON RESUMING EXERCISE IS LACKING IN THE STANDARD POSTPARTUM CARE MODEL IN THE UNITED STATES. IN ADDITION, CONFLICTING INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND AMONG CLINICAL EXPERTS ON WHEN AND HOW TO BEST RESUME PA/EXERCISE AFTER CHILDBIRTH. THIS PROPOSAL WILL EVALUATE THE INFLUENCE OF AN EIGHT-WEEK EXERCISE INTERVENTION ON NEUROMUSCULAR FUNCTION (I.E., LOWER EXTREMITY STRENGTH & ENDURANCE, PELVIC FLOOR MUSCLE STRENGTH & ENDURANCE, SELF-REPORTED PELVIC FLOOR DYSFUNCTION SYMPTOMS), HABITUAL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVELS, AND OVERALL WELLBEING (I.E., LEVELS OF KINESIOPHOBIA, SLEEP QUALITY, SELF-REPORTED QUALITY OF LIFE) IN POSTPARTUM FEMALES. IN AN EFFORT TO DECREASE BARRIERS TO EXERCISE, CHILDCARE WILL BE OFFERED, AND PARTICIPANTS WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO INCORPORATE THEIR CHILD(REN) INTO EXERCISE SESSIONS IF THEY SO DESIRE. THIS PROPOSAL WILL UTILIZE A RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL (RCT) DESIGN AND OBJECTIVE MEASURES OF STRENGTH (I.E., LOAD CELLS) ALONG WITH STANDARD CLINICAL ASSESSMENTS OF PELVIC FLOOR MUSCLE FUNCTION (I.E., INTERNAL VAGINAL ASSESSMENT OF STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE, SELF-REPORTED SYMPTOMS USING VALIDATED QUESTIONNAIRES). FINDINGS WILL BE USED TO PERFORM POWER ANALYSES FOR FUTURE GRANT PROPOSALS TO SUPPORT A LARGE, APPROPRIATELY POWERED RCT. THIS PROPOSAL HAS POTENTIAL TO SIGNIFICANTLY INFLUENCE GUIDELINES FOR POSTPARTUM PHYSICAL ACTIVITY/EXERCISE, THUS FACILITATING A CHANGE IN CURRENT STANDARD POSTPARTUM CARE.

JOHN CARROLL UNIVERSITY WILL ESTABLISH A CAMPUS RESOURCE CENTER ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND FORM TWO COLLABORATIVE GROUPS IN ORDER TO ADDRESS STALK

THE CRITICAL DIGITAL PEDAGOGY PROJECT: TEACHER PREPARATION FOR INQUIRY-BASED ONLINE STEM EDUCATION

IRES: CARROLL UNIVERSITY CREATE PROGRAM

RUI: CARROLL UNIVERSITY BIOLOGICAL FIELD STATION IMPROVEMENT PROJECT

PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT TRAINING IN PRIMARY CARE

CPATH-1: DEVELOPING COMPUTATIONAL THINKING SKILLS ACROSS THE UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM

TECHNICAL PROPOSAL: MULTIMODAL ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL MEDIA TO DETECT STRATEGIC CAMPAIGN TRENDS

BUSINESS AND INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: BIODIVERSITY SURVEY OF FRESHWATER ALGAE OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS

UNDERGRADUATE INTERNATIONAL STUDIES AND FOREIGN LANGUAGE

UNDERGRADUATE INTERNATIONAL STUDIES AND FOREIGN LANGUAGE

SYNTHESIS AND DESIGN WORKSHOP: DIGITAL SCIENCE AND DATA ANALYTIC LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS AT SMALL LIBERAL ARTS INSTITUTIONS

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: IRES: TRACK I: GYP-NEXTGEN: EMPOWERING FUTURE SCIENTISTS WITHIN AN INTERNATIONAL CONSORTIUM FOCUSED ON GYPSUM PLANT COMMUNITIES -UNUSUAL SOIL TYPES SUCH AS GYPSUM ARE HOME TO A SIGNIFICANT PROPORTION OF THE WORLD?S PLANT DIVERSITY, HOST UNIQUE AND OFTEN RARE BIOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES OF CONSERVATION CONCERN, AND SERVE AS EXCELLENT SYSTEMS TO FURTHER OUR UNDERSTANDING OF BASIC EVOLUTIONARY AND ECOLOGICAL PROCESSES. THROUGH IRES TRACK I FUNDING, THE GYP-NEXTGEN PROJECT ALLOWS JOHN CARROLL UNIVERSITY, NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY, AND OBERLIN COLLEGE TO SUPPORT ANNUAL 6-STUDENT COHORTS (TWO STUDENTS PER INSTITUTION PER YEAR FOR THREE YEARS) TO CONDUCT MENTORED RESEARCH PROJECTS WITH PARTNERS IN SPAIN AT THE INSTITUTO PIRENAICO DE ECOLOG?A, UNIVERSIDAD DE ALMER?A, AND UNIVERSIDAD REY JUAN CARLOS. THE MAIN OBJECTIVE IS TO ADVANCE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE UNIQUE PLANTS AND ASSOCIATED ORGANISMS THAT SPECIALIZE ON UNUSUAL GYPSUM SOILS, WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY PROVIDING HIGH-QUALITY INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH EXPERIENCES TO A DIVERSE SET OF US UNDERGRADUATES (18 STUDENTS, TOTAL). THE STUDENT PARTICIPANTS WILL BE DRAWN FROM THREE DIVERSE INSTITUTIONS, INCLUDING A HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTION AND TWO UNDERGRADUATE-FOCUSED INSTITUTIONS, ONE OF WHICH HAS MANY FIRST-GENERATION STUDENTS. GYP-NEXTGEN BUILDS ON AN EXISTING US-SPANISH COLLABORATION, PROVIDING US STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK ALONGSIDE MANY OF THE WORLDWIDE EXPERTS IN THIS RESEARCH AREA. GYP-NEXTGEN WILL TRAIN 18 FUTURE SCIENTISTS FOR A GLOBAL WORKFORCE, DEVELOPING THEIR CROSS-CULTURAL, INTERPERSONAL, AND ACADEMIC RESEARCH SKILLS IN STEM FIELDS. EACH STUDENT WILL BE CLOSELY MENTORED BY US AND SPANISH SCIENTISTS AS THEY DEVELOP RESEARCH PROPOSALS, CONDUCT STUDIES IN THE FIELD AND LABORATORY, AND PREPARE THEIR WORK FOR PRESENTATION AND FURTHER PUBLICATION. STUDENTS WILL ADVANCE THEIR SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATION SKILLS THROUGH DIRECT OUTREACH TO LOCAL SCHOOLS IN SPAIN TO TALK ABOUT THEIR WORK, AND IN THE US AND MEXICO THROUGH PRODUCTION OF A BILINGUAL PODCAST ABOUT THEIR PROJECTS. THE PROJECT ALSO PROVIDES PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR A DIVERSE FACULTY TEAM IN THE US AND SPAIN. BY LEVERAGING AND EXPANDING UPON GYPWORLD, GYP-NEXTGEN STRENGTHENS THE LINKS BETWEEN THE US AND SPANISH PARTNER INSTITUTIONS, ENABLES SUBSTANTIVE ADVANCES IN BASIC RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION OF GYPSUM ECOSYSTEMS, AND CREATES MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR UNDERGRADUATES, JUNIOR FACULTY, AND SENIOR FACULTY ALIKE. UNUSUAL SOIL TYPES SUCH AS GYPSUM OFFER UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES FOR UNDERSTANDING BASIC ECOLOGICAL AND EVOLUTIONARY PROCESSES. ORGANISMS ADAPTED TO THESE SOILS ARE OFTEN INHERENTLY RARE AND OF CONSERVATION CONCERN. DESPITE THEIR GLOBAL PRESENCE IN ARID AND SEMI-ARID REGIONS, GYPSUM ECOSYSTEMS REMAIN UNDERSTUDIED COMPARED TO OTHER HARSH SOIL TYPES, YET THEY HOST BIODIVERSE ENDEMIC PLANT AND BIOLOGICAL SOIL CRUST COMMUNITIES ON FIVE CONTINENTS. THIS PROJECT BUILDS ON AN EXISTING COLLABORATION BETWEEN US AND SPANISH PARTNERS, PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES TO MENTOR AND TRAIN 18 STUDENTS TOTAL FROM THREE US INSTITUTIONS (JOHN CARROLL UNIVERSITY, NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY, AND OBERLIN COLLEGE) AT THREE SPANISH INSTITUTIONS (INSTITUTO PIRENAICO DE ECOLOG?A, UNIVERSIDAD DE ALMER?A, AND UNIVERSIDAD REY JUAN CARLOS). BY FURTHER LINKING US AND SPANISH PARTNERS, THIS PROJECT WILL ADVANCE FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE PHYSIOLOGY, ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION, AND CONSERVATION OF GYPSUM ECOSYSTEMS. OUR MAIN OBJECTIVE IS TO ADVANCE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF GYPSUM ECOSYSTEMS WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY PROVIDING HIGH-QUALITY INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH EXPERIENCES TO A DIVERSE SET OF US UNDERGRADUATES. IMPORTANTLY, SPAIN IS THE INTERNATIONAL HUB OF GYPSUM ECOLOGICAL AND EVOLUTIONARY RESEARCH, AND THE SPANISH PIS INCLUDED IN GYP-NEXTGEN REPRESENT MOST OF THE GLOBAL LEADERS IN GYPSUM ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION. STUDENTS WILL BE MENTORED THROUGH AN INTEGRATED CAMPAIGN OF ACTIVITIES BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER THEIR RESEARCH EXPERIENCES IN SPAIN, TO ENSURE CONSISTENT HIGH-QUALITY MENTORSHIP. GYP-NEXTGEN WILL TRAIN 18 FUTURE SCIENTISTS FOR A GLOBAL WORKFORCE, DEVELOPING THEIR CROSS-CULTURAL, INTERPERSONAL, AND ACADEMIC RESEARCH SKILLS IN STEM FIELDS. EACH STUDENT WILL BE CLOSELY MENTORED BY US AND SPANISH SCIENTISTS AS THEY DEVELOP RESEARCH PROPOSALS, CONDUCT STUDIES IN THE FIELD AND LABORATORY, AND PREPARE THEIR WORK FOR PRESENTATION AND FURTHER PUBLICATION. STUDENTS WILL ADVANCE THEIR SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATION SKILLS THROUGH DIRECT OUTREACH TO LOCAL SCHOOLS IN SPAIN TO TALK ABOUT THEIR WORK, AND IN THE US AND MEXICO THROUGH PRODUCTION OF A BILINGUAL PODCAST ABOUT THEIR PROJECTS. THE PROJECT ALSO PROVIDES PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR A DIVERSE FACULTY. BY LEVERAGING AND EXPANDING UPON THE EXISTING EUROPEAN UNION FUNDED GYPWORLD PROJECT, GYP-NEXTGEN STRENGTHENS THE LINKS BETWEEN THE US AND SPANISH PARTNER INSTITUTIONS, ENABLES SUBSTANTIVE ADVANCES IN BASIC RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION OF GYPSUM ECOSYSTEMS, AND CREATES MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR UNDERGRADUATES, JUNIOR FACULTY, AND SENIOR FACULTY ALIKE. THIS PROJECT IS JOINTLY FUNDED BY THE OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING (OISE) AND THE ESTABLISHED PROGRAM TO STIMULATE COMPETITIVE RESEARCH (EPSCOR). 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.

RUI: CC*IIE CAMPUS DESIGN: PLANNING GRANT TO ENHANCE SCIENTIFIC NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE AT CARROLL UNIVERSITY

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS

5TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF CRISIS MAPPERS

NEH ENDURING QUESTIONS COURSE ON THE SOCIAL RESPONSE TO POVERTY

COLONIZATION DYNAMICS OF LUDWIGIA PEPLOIDES GERMINANTS AND ASEXUAL RAMETS UNDER CHANGING HYDROLOGIC CONDITIONS

NEH ENDURING QUESTIONS COURSE ON THE AFTERLIFE

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS

PI MU EPISON NATIONAL MEETING 2010

PI MU EPSILON NATIONAL MEETING 2009

ARRA - SCHOLARSHIPS FOR DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS

CONFERENCE: THE PUI RESEARCH NEXUS: FACULTY, STAFF, AND ADMINISTRATORS RAISE AWARENESS, ASSESS SYSTEMIC BARRIERS, AND PREPARE TO ACT IN SUPPORT OF THE RESEARCH ENTERPRISE -IN THIS PROJECT, REGIONAL INTER-INSTITUTIONAL WORKSHOPS WILL BE OFFERED TO TEAMS OF RESEARCH ADMINISTRATORS, INSTITUTIONAL LEADERS, AND FACULTY FROM PRIMARILY UNDERGRADUATE INSTITUTIONS (PUIS) TO CATALYZE THE IDENTIFICATION OF COMMON BARRIERS THAT LIMIT RESEARCH ACTIVITY AND THE COLLABORATIVE DEVELOPMENT OF SOLUTIONS TO OVERCOME THESE BARRIERS TO GROW CAPABILITY AND CAPACITY. INCREASING THE RESEARCH CAPACITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE AT PUIS WILL PROMOTE FACULTY AND STUDENT ENGAGEMENT IN RESEARCH ACTIVITIES AND BROADEN PARTICIPATION IN THE NATION?S RESEARCH ENTERPRISE. AS A FIRST STEP TOWARDS CREATING A COLLABORATIVE AND TRANSFORMATIVE PUI RESEARCH CAPACITY AND CAPABILITY BUILDING MODEL THAT OVERCOMES COMMON RESEARCH SUPPORT STRUCTURAL BARRIERS, THIS PROJECT WILL OFFER ONE-DAY WORKSHOPS IN THE MIDWEST, NORTHWEST, AND SOUTHEAST REGIONS OF THE UNITED STATES. TEAMS OF RESEARCH ADMINISTRATORS, FACULTY, AND INSTITUTIONAL LEADERS WILL GATHER TO IDENTIFY CHALLENGES, BUILD REGIONAL SUPPORT NETWORKS, AND CREATE SHARED RESOURCES THAT INCREASE THE SUCCESS OF THEIR INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH ENTERPRISE. THE RESULTING SUITE OF BEST PRACTICES WILL BE THE FOUNDATION OF A RESEARCH TOOLKIT THAT CAN BE IMPLEMENTED BROADLY IN PUIS ACROSS THE NATION. 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 PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.