Advancing STEM Success Through Course-Based Biological and AI-Driven Research Experiences at a Two-Year College

The project aims to serve the national interest by providing opportunities for hands-on laboratory research for two-year college students that strengthen STEM competencies, build academic confidence, and develop workforce-ready skills. Miami Dade College aims to launch technology-rich, course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) that engage students in cutting-edge biological research. Over a three-year period, students explore the intersection of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and retrovirology while investigating methods to disrupt the life cycle of HIV. Through a combination of hands-on laboratory work, digital modeling, and professional mentorship, participants gain valuable experience that supports advancement in STEM academic pathways and careers. These research experiences are embedded within existing dual enrollment and associate degree programs, allowing students to earn college credit while participating in meaningful real-world research. The project promotes innovation in education, strengthens STEM pathways at two-year colleges, and contributes to cultivating the next generation of scientists. Project goals are to: (1) facilitate undergraduate research opportunities in biomedical AI-driven research, and (2) advance undergraduate STEM education by strengthening transfer pathways to four-year institutions and STEM careers. To achieve these goals, the project provides dual enrollment and two-year college students with structured research experiences focused on using computational tools to predict novel human protein inhibitors of HIV reverse transcriptase. Participant activities center around a 10-week, three-credit co-op work experience course that integrates digital modeling, literature review, wet-lab analysis, journal club discussions, poster development, and entrepreneurship training. A mixed-methods approach assesses the impact of early research exposure on student outcomes including persistence, retention, and graduation. The project also intends to generate scalable insights for building research capacity at two-year colleges, with particular emphasis on integrating AI into undergraduate biology education. Dissemination strategies include peer-reviewed publications, student-authored research posters, instructional manuals, and evidence-based strategies for replication across two-year institutions. By embedding cutting-edge research opportunities into STEM pathways, this initiative elevates the role of two-year colleges in preparing the next generation of STEM professionals. The NSF IUSE: Innovation in Two-Year College STEM Education (ITYC) Program seeks to accelerate the impact of and advance knowledge about emerging and evidence-based practices in undergraduate STEM education at two-year colleges. The NSF IUSE: Innovation in Two-Year College STEM Education (ITYC) Program seeks to accelerate the impact of and advance knowledge about emerging and evidence-based practices in undergraduate STEM education at two-year colleges. 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.