Field-based Undergraduate Training: Utilizing Research for Equity (FUTURE) in Biology

Undergraduate field courses can be used as pedagogical tools in the curriculum to increase persistence in biology majors. However, it is unclear how field courses should be designed and when they should be offered in the undergraduate curriculum to provide the most benefits to students. This project will recruit a cohort of 3 postdoctoral fellows who will lead qualitative and quantitative research on the benefits of field course design elements in three existing departmental initiatives at University of California- Santa Cruz (UCSC), a Hispanic-Serving Research Institution. Fellows’ discoveries will connect pieces of the puzzle to improve retention and student success in STEM through refinement and implementation of courses and internships during strategic curricular time points. Fellows will benefit intellectually, professionally, and socially in preparation for education research careers, and will provide role models for hundreds of graduate students who seek similar opportunities. By providing cohort- and community-based support for the fellows and building capacity for biology education research, this work will be of significance in empowering STEM talent and knowledge creation in higher education research. A major priority in higher education is to improve retention of students and support them through admission to graduate school and employment in the expanding STEM workforce. Although field courses show promise for recruitment and persistence of undergraduate students, many questions remain about which design components are important to generate desired outcomes, and when in the undergraduate curriculum these opportunities should be offered. This project will build on existing strengths in field-based teaching and leadership to support 3 fellows to undertake research to improve field-based undergraduate training in the life sciences. This comprehensive support program for the Postdoc Fellows has the four goals: 1) Recruitment, selection, and retention strategies including a professional development plan and identification of impactful, feasible projects; 2) Cultivating a community of practice in field teaching, education research to support success and networking; 3) Fostering connections outside the department and institution; and 4) Assessing and disseminating the program outcomes to turn knowledge into scalable solutions. By collaboratively designing and delivering a new field teaching program, the postdoc Fellows will transform the experiences of hundreds of undergraduate students and dozens of field course instructors. This project is supported by NSF’s STEM Education Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (STEM Ed PRF) Program with co-funding from the Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Program. The STEM Ed PRF Program aims to enhance the research knowledge, skills, and practices of recent doctorates in STEM, STEM education, education, and related disciplines to advance their preparation to engage in fundamental and applied research that advances knowledge within the field. The HSI Program supports projects that improve undergraduate STEM education and increase the rates of recruitment, retention and graduation of undergraduate STEM students at Hispanic-serving institutions. 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.