Implementation project: Interdisciplinary Research Infusion into STEM Education (I-RISE) Undergraduate Program

Implementation Projects provide support to the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to design, implement, study, and assess comprehensive institutional efforts to increase the numbers of students and the quality of their preparation by strengthening science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and research. This project at Jarvis Christian University (JCU) seeks to train a diverse group of students by making innovative connections between education, interdisciplinary STEM research, and social learning strategies. The goal of this project is to increase the number of underrepresented minority students pursuing STEM degrees to be competitive for graduate and professional schools. The project will impact the academic success, retention, and graduation rate of students enrolled in STEM degrees and make sustainable change to STEM programs at the institution. The project seeks to address several causal factors of STEM student achievement gaps through implementation and extension of evidence-based teaching in the STEM areas. The infusion of Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) into lower-level STEM courses will expose students early to hands-on research approaches with the potential to advance their understanding of their chosen field and promote critical thinking skills. The project will gain insight into the effects of interventions on social learning strategies, including growth mindset, sense of belonging, and self-efficacy. In addition, the development of the new Engineering program will provide a strong general foundation in the field of engineering and equip students to excel in higher-level courses and engineering specializations. Moreover, student participation in faculty mentored research during the academic year and summer will contribute to the advancement of faculty research and increase JCU STEM students’ ability to compete successfully for graduate research fellowships. Finally, this opportunity will promote new and expanded collaborations for degree and research opportunities with other institutions through the establishment of the Interdisciplinary Research and Education Center (IREC). The project, which may serve as a model for broad STEM intervention, will be assessed to determine the impact of faculty mentoring, internships, research experiences, and social learning strategies on the outcomes of retention and graduation rates of STEM majors. 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.