NSF Award
2225832
This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2).<br/><br/>STEM careers often require practical training experiences in addition to academic preparation to transition between career points successfully. The public health restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic caused most institutions of higher education (IHEs) to shift to online instruction, making it impossible for students to have hands-on experiences that develop laboratory and research skills. Underrepresented groups were especially vulnerable because racial and ethnic minorities experienced worse health, financial, and emotional impacts due to the pandemic. Through a collaborative project involving minority-serving institutions (MSIs), a nonprofit research and training institute, and for-profit companies in the biotechnology sector, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology (HudsonAlpha) will support a diverse group of students strongly affected by the pandemic at a vulnerable point in their educational and career pathways through a project titled Boosting Retention, Interest, and Diversity through Guided Experiences in STEM (BRIDGES). BRIDGES will provide practical, laboratory-based training through paid internships to help a diverse group of students bridge the gap between undergraduate studies and graduate programs or the STEM workforce. The project will also foster partnerships between academia, nonprofit research endeavors, and industry in a field with high unmet demand for well-trained, entry-level positions. The significance of the BRIDGES project is to help fulfill NSF’s mission by promoting the progress of science and increasing access for underrepresented groups to the nation’s STEM enterprise in EPSCoR jurisdictions.<br/><br/>The goal of the BRIDGES project is to increase student retention and diversity in STEM by building a supportive, holistic bridge between undergraduate and graduate school or industry employment. Specifically, the project will recruit and train two cohorts of six post-baccalaureates from MSIs in EPSCoR jurisdictions. Each intern will gain valuable laboratory experience through a nearly year-long paid position in a research laboratory or tenant company at HudsonAlpha. Students will also receive professional development training, exposure to career opportunities, and mentorship. Over each cohort year, the project will strengthen students’ STEM identity through mentorship from career scientists and near-peers and the innovative and entrepreneurial environment of HudsonAlpha’s campus. The project will also develop and enhance partnerships between HudsonAlpha and Historically Black Colleges and Universities in Alabama. Evaluation will measure the project’s effectiveness in maintaining and strengthening partnerships with MSIs and cultivating an experience that supports STEM engagement among minority students. The project will advance understanding of experiences and partnerships that support persistence in STEM and increase access for underrepresented groups to the nation’s STEM enterprise.<br/><br/>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.
