NSF Award
0850228
This project builds on efforts to integrate computational work across the science disciplines, expand interdisciplinary student research opportunities and internships, develop a new minor in computational science, and provide a new computational and modeling laboratory. It brings together and coordinates college services to support students interested in computational and interdisciplinary science. The college attracts and mentors these students, equipping them for graduate school or direct entry into the scientific workforce. Scholarships provide significant incentives for academically talented students with financial need to pursue this program of study.<br/><br/>Intellectual Merit: Disciplinary depth and interdisciplinary breadth are required to find solutions to complex, contemporary scientific problems. The synergy that results from collaborative efforts to address these problems and the satisfaction that comes from making progress toward their solution are strong motivators for engaging in scientific research. In particular, there is a growing need for scientists with significant computational skills and for computer scientists who can collaborate with researchers in other disciplines. This project increases the number of students with the scientific and computational skills required to participate in the scientific discoveries of the future.<br/><br/>Broader Impacts: The availability of scholarships together with targeted recruiting and retention efforts and curricular reforms (1) increases the awareness of the range of opportunities available in computational science among our entering and early career students, (2) encourages academically strong students to choose to work in computational science, and (3) draws such students into in a strong summer and academic-year research programs. These programs, in turn, produce students well-prepared for further research and study or for direct entry into the workforce. This program is specifically designed to increase the number of students from underrepresented groups, both ethnic minorities and women, in CS courses through expanded recruiting and visibility, an emphasis on cross-disciplinary applications of computational skills, and intentional mentoring and cohort experiences throughout the students' undergraduate careers.
