REU Site: Advancing Next-Generation Workforce Development through Multidisciplinary STEM Education Research

This project aims to serve the national interest by strengthening the preparation of the future science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce through undergraduate research experiences focused on improving STEM education. The project plans to engage undergraduate students in multidisciplinary education research centered around areas of growing national importance that depend on both technical innovation and effective education, including artificial intelligence (AI), biotechnology, quantum information science and engineering (QISE), and STEM educator preparation. The project plans to provide research opportunities for talented students from a wide variety of higher education institutional profiles, including research-intensive universities, as well as institutions with limited research infrastructure, such as regional and rural-serving institutions, two-year colleges, and liberal arts colleges. Through faculty mentoring, professional development, and participation in a collaborative research community, students will develop research skills, scientific communication abilities, and professional identities that support continued engagement in STEM careers and graduate study. The significance of this project lies in its dual focus on developing future STEM professionals while advancing knowledge about how best to prepare future generations of students for emerging workforce needs. The goals of this project are to recruit and support undergraduate researchers, engage them in rigorous STEM education research, and contribute knowledge about effective teaching and learning in AI, biotechnology, QISE, and STEM educator preparation. The scope includes research projects examining topics such as biotechnology visual literacy, bioinformatics assessment, computational literacy, ethical decision-making in STEM, AI-enhanced learning environments, and pathways into QISE education. Ten students per year will participate in a six-week, remote onboarding experience during the spring followed by a nine-week, residential summer research program. Students will conduct original research using qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods approaches, supported by multidisciplinary faculty mentors and professional development activities. Project outcomes, including assessment tools, instructional resources, and research findings, will be disseminated through conferences, peer-reviewed publications, and open-access educational materials. The program evaluation plan includes examination of participant learning, professional development, career pathways, and the effectiveness of recruitment and support structures designed to expand access to undergraduate research opportunities. This project is funded by NSF's Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) program, which supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all 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.