Summer Research Experience Research Articles

Effective mentoring strategies to support underrepresented students during a virtual summer research experience for engineering education undergraduates

PurposeIn this study, students’ perceptions of the effective practices of their research mentors were examined. The research mentors implemented the practices informed by the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER) mentorship competencies to mentor underrepresented students in engineering education research in a virtual environment.Design/methodology/approachThis research experience for undergraduates (REU) program, situated in the United States of America, consisted of undergraduate students (i.e. mentees), graduate students and faculty mentors who all had at least one underrepresented identity in engineering (i.e. Black, Latiné/x, and/or women). Using qualitative methods, we used data from reflection surveys and follow-up interviews with REU mentees to understand the outcomes of the mentorship strategies employed by the mentors in the program. The data were analyzed thematically using CIMER model constructs and social capital theory as guiding frameworks.FindingsThe results indicated the identified strategies students perceived as the most impactful for mentorship throughout the program. Students in the REU gained knowledge on how to activate social capital in mentorship relationships and how to better mentor others.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings provide insight on how to operationalize the CIMER mentorship competencies to skillfully mentor underrepresented students in engineering. Given the size of the REU and the nature of qualitative research, the sample size was limited.Practical implicationsThe results help inform mentorship practices for underrepresented individuals in engineering education and the workforce. Further, they add to the practical knowledge of implementing CIMER best practices virtually, at a time when the world has transitioned to more hybrid and virtual working and learning environments.Originality/valueThis study identifies impactful strategies for operationalizing mentorship strategies informed by theory- and evidence-based CIMER mentorship competencies. In addition, this study extends knowledge about how to implement mentoring best practices and engage mentorship in a virtual environment.

Learning on a Limb: An outreach module to engage high school students in orthopaedics.

Orthopaedic researchers need new strategies for engaging diverse students. Our field has demonstrated noticeable gaps in racial, ethnic, and gender diversity, which inhibit our ability to innovate and combat the severe socioeconomic burden of musculoskeletal disorders. Towards this goal, we designed, implemented, and evaluated Learning on a Limb, an orthopaedic research outreach module to teach diverse high school students about orthopaedic research. During the 4-hr module, students completed hands-on activities to learn how biomechanical testing, microcomputed tomography, cell culture, and histology are used in orthopaedic research. Over three years, we recruited 32 high school students from the Greater Philadelphia Area to participate in Learning on a Limb. Most participants identified as racial/ethnic or gender minorities in orthopaedic research. Using pre/post-tests, we found that students experienced significant learning gains of 51 percentage points from completing Learning on a Limb. In addition to teaching students about orthopaedic research, post-survey data demonstrated that participating in Learning on a Limb strongly influenced students' interest in orthopaedic research. Several students acted on this interest by completing summer research experiences in the McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania. Learning on a Limb instructors also benefited by having the opportunity to "pay it forward" to the next generation of students and build community within their department. Empowering institutions to host modules like Learning on a Limb would synergistically inspire diverse high school students and strengthen community within orthopaedic departments to ultimately enhance orthopaedic research innovations.

A Model for International Summer Research Experiences for STEM Students

A Model for International Summer Research Experiences for STEM Students

An effective Caenorhabditis elegans CRISPR training module for high school and undergraduate summer research experiences in molecular biology.

Engaging in research experiences as a high school or undergraduate student interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is pivotal for their academic and professional development. A structured teaching framework can help cultivate a student's curiosity and passion for learning and research. In this study, an eight-week training program was created to encompass fundamental molecular biology principles and hands-on laboratory activities. This curriculum focuses on using clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) gene editing in the Caenorhabditis elegans model organism. Through pre- and post-program assessments, enhancements in students' molecular biology proficiency and enthusiasm for scientific exploration were observed. Overall, this training module demonstrated its accessibility and ability to engage inexperienced students in molecular biology and gene editing methodologies.

Biophysics Concept Inventory Survey: An Assessment in Biophysical Undergraduate Education

ABSTRACT Since the Force Concept Inventory in 1992, many concept inventories have been developed to cover classical scientific fields. However, there is a lack of concept inventories for interdisciplinary fields, such as biophysics. We introduce a Biophysics Concept Inventory Survey (BCIS), a 20-question, multiple-choice survey to measure student gains in biophysical concepts. The BCIS contains 5 question classifications: remember, understand, apply, analyze, and create, as well as question concepts divided into primarily physics or primarily biology questions. We administered the BCIS to 3 cohorts of students over 4 years. Each cohort participated in a 10-week summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) in biophysics. We compared the presurvey (before REU) and postsurvey (after REU) scores to determine the fraction of the maximum possible gain or loss realized. Our analysis of the results suggests that the BCIS shows no biases based on sex or ethnicity. Further, we used the BCIS to show that 69% of the REU participants showed gains in biophysics concepts, with most of the total participant mean of gain occurring at higher levels of Bloom’s taxonomy: create and analyze. Overall, participants obtain slightly higher scores in physics (8% increase) than biology (5% increase) when comparing the pre- and postscores. The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic allows a splitting of prepandemic and postpandemic cohorts, with the postpandemic cohort showing significantly larger gains than the prepandemic students. These results show that the BCIS, with question classifications and concepts, probes the students’ ability to apply knowledge to various biophysical science topics without underlying biases and enables instructors to obtain answers to important questions about the effectiveness of the educational programs. The BCIS fills a gap for interdisciplinary concept inventories.

Stepping Up Summer Fun: the Cancer Research - Scholarship and Training Experience in Population Sciences (C-STEPS) Program.

Over the last two decades, strides in cancer prevention, earlier detection, and novel treatments have reduced overall cancer mortality; however, cancer health disparities (CHD) persist among demographically diverse and intersecting populations. The development of a culturally responsive workforce trained in interdisciplinary, team-based science is a key strategy for addressing these cancer disparities. The Cancer Research - Scholarship and Training Experience in Population Sciences (C-STEPS) program at the University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center is designed to increase and diversify the biomedical and behavioral research workforce by providing specialized and experiential curricula that highlight team-oriented cancer control and population science. Undergraduate students interested in CHD and in pursuing STEM-H (science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and health) graduate or professional degrees are eligible for the program. C-STEPS students are paired with a UNM faculty mentor, who guides the student's 10-week summer research experience. They receive mentorship and support from three layers-faculty, near-peers (graduate students), and peers (undergraduates who have completed the C-STEPS program previously). Students generate five products, including a capstone presentation, grounded in the research they conduct with their faculty mentors. Since its founding in 2021, C-STEPS has trained three cohorts with a total of 32 students. The C-STEPS program provides a unique team-science approach with multilayer mentoring to create a sustainable pipeline for the development of students interested in STEM-H fields and CHD research. The capstone project led to 47% of students presenting their work at conferences, and two publishing their manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals. Overall, 89% of students were either "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with the program and the same percentage recommended the program to other undergraduates.

Building a Physician-Scientist Pathway for Underrepresented Medical Students Through a Summer Research Experience.

There is a need to increase the number of physician-scientists from underrepresented in medicine (URiM) groups. To engage URiM medical students, a committee of pediatric departmental leaders at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia created the Summer Underrepresented in Medicine Medical Student Research program. This 8-week, onsite research and clinical experience takes place during the summer between students' first and second years of medical school. Applications were solicited between 2019-2023 through nationwide outreach to medical school deans and members of URiM student organizations. Accepted students were assigned a mentor to lead their research and clinical exposure. A curriculum highlighting aspects of academic medicine was developed. Students received a $3,000-$5,500 stipend for in-person participation. In 2020 and 2021, adjustments were made (e.g., virtual programming) to avoid interruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the 2019-2023 application cycles, 298 students applied. Of 128 students who participated, 78 (61%) completed a postprogram survey. Students' survey feedback was positive. They indicated the program met expectations (mean rating = 1.3; scale: 1 = strongly agree to 5 = strongly disagree). Students reported they learned valuable information/skills (mean = 1.3) and that participation was worth time spent away from other responsibilities (mean = 1.3). The 2019 cohort (n = 12) achieved a 100% residency match rate. In addition, 4 (33%) of these students reported they are obtaining additional degrees or are performing research. After the program, many mentors continued to include students in their research projects. Next steps include incorporating a standardized, scored rubric for selecting applicants; adding 3 lead mentors, an executive committee, and a faculty advisory board; establishing earlier pathway programming (e.g., at elementary and middle school levels); continuing to track/support alumni throughout their careers; and pursuing federal funding to expand the program.

Summer Cancer Research Experience for High School Students from Historically Marginalized Populations in Kansas City.

The Accelerate Cancer Education (ACE) summer research program at The University of Kansas Cancer Center (KUCC) is a six-week, cancer-focused, summer research experience for high school students from historically marginalized populations in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Cancer affects all populations and continues to be the second leading cause of death in the United States, and a large number of disparities impact racial and ethnic minorities, including increased cancer incidence and mortality. Critically, strategies to bolster diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility are needed to address persistent cancer disparities. The ACE program offers an educational opportunity for a population of students who otherwise would not have easy access onto a medical center campus to make connections with cancer physicians and researchers and provides a vital response to the need for a more diverse and expansive oncology workforce. Students grow their technical, social, and professional skills and develop self-efficacy and long-lasting connections that help them matriculate and persist through post-secondary education. Developed in 2018, the ACE program has trained 37 high school junior and senior students. This article describes the need for and how we successfully developed and implemented the ACE program.

Mentoring across difference and distance: building effective virtual research opportunities for underrepresented minority undergraduate students in biological sciences.

Summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs) are established to provide platforms for interest in scientific research and as tools for eventual matriculation to scientific graduate programs. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of in-person programs for 2020 and 2021, creating the need for alternative programming. The National Summer Undergraduate Research Project (NSURP) was created to provide a virtual option to REUs in microbiology to compensate for the pandemic-initiated loss of research opportunities. Although in-person REUs have since been restored, NSURP currently remains an option for those unable to travel to in-person programs in the first place due to familial, community, and/or monetary obligations. This study examines the effects of the program's first 3 years, documenting the students' experiences, and suggests future directions and areas of study related to the impact of virtual research experiences on expanding and diversifying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Measuring change within next‐generation agricultural and natural resources professionals

AbstractA dynamic and diverse workforce of agricultural professionals and scientists is needed to develop sustainable and innovative solutions for the challenges of food production for a growing population under the threat of climate extremes. One path to developing workforce talent is through summer research and extension experiences. The Applied Plant Systems (APS) Research and Extension Experiences for Undergraduates (REEUs) program provided 23 undergraduates a pathway to work with agricultural science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through plant and soil sciences research and extension programs. To develop the professional skills of interns and guide self‐reflection, weekly Think Tank Sessions were organized to focus on teamwork, time management, decision‐making, and systems thinking. To assess variation in the students’ approach to their work, the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) was incorporated into program evaluation. Using a pre–post design, students’ agreement with statements reflecting a deep, strategic, or surface approach to their work was measured. T‐tests revealed significant increases in mean scores for subscales measuring Deep Approach, one subscale measuring Strategic Approach, and the subscale measuring fear of failure to reflect the Surface Approach. Increased fear of failure scores may be explained by new experiences working with research, peers, and mentors. Eight of 23 students who participated in a follow‐up survey after the conclusion of the program reported increased knowledge of agricultural careers. Results provided evidence that the APS experience increased student confidence in facing challenges that require deeper and strategic thinking and elevated their attention to monitoring the effectiveness of their decisions and skills.

Partnership in Cancer Research (PCAR) Program Increases Medical Student Knowledge and Confidence to Perform Cancer Research.

Arkansas has a high cancer burden, and a pressing need exists for more medical students to pursue oncology as a career. The Partnership in Cancer Research (PCAR) program provides a summer research experience at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences for 12 medical students who have completed their first year of medical training. A majority of participants spend time pursuing cancer research in basic science, clinical, or community-based research. Students report on their research progress in an interactive "Live from the Lab!" series and assemble a final poster presentation describing their findings. Other activities include participation in a moderated, cancer-patient support group online, lecture series on cancer topics, medical simulations, palliative care clinic visit, "Death Over Dinner" event, and an entrepreneurship competition. Students completed surveys over PCAR's first 2 years in operation to evaluate all aspects of the program. Surveys reveal that students enthusiastically embraced the program in its entirety. This was especially true of the medical simulations which received the highest evaluations. Most significantly, surveys revealed that the program increased cancer knowledge and participant confidence to perform cancer research.

Ten simple rules for students navigating summer research experiences for undergraduates (REU) programs: From application to program completion.

For many emerging scientists, research experiences for undergraduates (REU) programs are an important gateway to graduate school and a career in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). REUs provide guided mentorship and learning experiences in a summer-long program where students develop research skills, build scientific knowledge, and strengthen their scientific identity. While the benefits of REUs are abundant, the process is not always easy to navigate, especially for students who come from first-generation and/or low-income (FLI) backgrounds. This paper provides two-fold guidance for undergraduate students interested in participating in REUs. Rules 1 to 5 focus on demystifying the application process from beginning to end, and Rules 6 to 10 guide students who are on the other side of the application process. Thus, this paper will be most helpful for undergraduate students who are either considering applying for an REU or have been accepted into one and want to learn more about what to expect. It can also be a shareable resource for faculty, staff, and mentors who work directly with STEM undergraduates.

Poster 379: Mentorship and Research Program to Improve Opportunity Among Underrepresented Students Pursuing Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine

Objectives: In North America, the orthopaedic specialty has limited diversity with over 80% of orthopaedic surgeons being caucaisan male. Over the last 20 years, many specialty societies have attempted to improve diversity in the specialty, with limited changes over the last 10 years. The purpose of this program was to identify a diverse and under-represented group of potential orthopaedic surgery resident candidates in the last year of college or first 2 years of medical school, and create an educational/mentorship experience that would increase their interest in orthopaedic careers. Methods: Over a 2-year period, we received over 250 applications and selected 17 and 10 students to participate in the summer 2021 and 2022 programs respectively. The program delivered a curriculum from June-August 2021, and 2022 consisting of 1) weekly instructional courses on research-related topics led by a content expert; 2) weekly faculty lectures discussing topics including orthopaedic topics, diversity in medicine, leadership, and work-life balance; and 3) an 8-week summer research experience paired with a faculty and peer mentor. We surveyed students to measure skill progression, satisfaction, and overall program evaluation. Pre/post-program evaluation, mid-program check-in, and student feedback surveys were collected. Results: Program participants represented a range of race and ethnic backgrounds, research experience level, and various geographic locations across the US. The cohort included a high rate of female (48%) and Black (30%) participants. On average, post-program survey scores indicated that participants believed that the summer program improved their research skills (9.4 of 10), improved their orthopaedic interest (9 of 10), and improved mentorship and networking (9.3 of 10). For feedback surveys, respondents (88%) felt they were adequately matched to their faculty mentor. (72% felt they had realistic deliverables for research projects within the 8-week program. 92% indicated they contributed to an abstract or manuscript as a co-author. Over 50% plan to apply to orthopaedic residency. Conclusions: This pilot study demonstrates the feasibility of building a high-impact remote summer program catered to underrepresented students interested in orthopaedics. Although a remote program has some limitations, it has some advantages, including : 1. allowing for a significant mentorship/research experience, that does not involve the cost/complexity of travel for 2 months, and 2. it allows access to people from a larger geographic area. Our findings indicate that students improved their research skills, interest, and confidence to pursue orthopaedic residency, and mentorship/networks in the field. We plan to longitudinally track program alumni and evaluate the overall impact of this program on the field of orthopaedics. This program is simple – a remote mentoring/research opportunity, that requires a small investment for centers to participate – but would benefit from having more mentors for the students. The large number of student applicants confirms a significant number of students that are interested in this program, and access to more mentors could increase the size and impact of the program. We encourage other centers to develop similar programs to support increased diversity in those that will pursue careers in orthopaedics and sports medicine.

Mentoring is not “Short-Term”: effective continuing mentoring strategies for undergraduate short-term summer program participants after the research experience

Short-term summer research experiences are a “crash-course” in unique research and mentoring opportunities. Mentoring by research faculty is a key component to short-term summer undergraduate research experiences through laboratory training, one-on-one mentoring, and overall engagement in the program. Faculty members also encourage retention of these scholars in research areas. However, continuing mentorship beyond the brevity of the experience is often difficult for both the faculty mentor and the mentee, particularly if they are at different institutions. The UAB kidney, urology, and non-malignant hematology (KUH) undergraduate research experience (KURE) has been active since 2014 and since 2018 as an NIH-funded R25 Program focused on kidney research and interdisciplinary KUH experiences. UAB KURE has trained over 99 scholars (33% underrepresented in biomedical sciences) in individualized kidney physiology and pathophysiology research as well as clinical experiences. The KURE scholars were individually matched with a faculty mentor and daily supervisors or near peers to support the project and research experience. Over 32 UAB faculty members have mentored a KURE scholar in this short-term experience with 72% (23 of 32) faculty members being a mentor for 2 or more summer experiences. Many in the UAB KURE cohorts have developed a strong bond with the mentor and KUH community at UAB. Those scholars continue in research either at a distance or in future summers, a number return as gap year interns, and many are in communication for future career direction or support. This on-going mentoring and engagement with KURE Scholars as a near peer and a faculty mentor requires time and focus. Determining the most effective means and resources to continue mentoring summer scholars in the long-term is an important consideration. Continual mentoring of summer undergraduate KURE scholars has a critical impact in retaining these scholars and increasing the diversity of researchers and clinicians in the KUH larger community. Through one-on-one qualitative interviews and quantitative survey analysis, we investigated the key aspects of ongoing mentoring of short-term research scholars. We will present methods, metrics, and models for ongoing mentoring, as well as the complex nature and significance of this ongoing mentoring after the summer experience to those scholars who are underrepresented in medicine. Funded by R25 DK115353 This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2023 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Using Supplemental Instruction through the EMPOWER Program to Increase Diversity in STEM Fields

The underrepresentation of women and racial minorities in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields is of national concern. Despite recent increases, females continue to be underrepresented in math, physical science, and engineering related fields compared to their male counterparts. There is also evidence showing a troubling inequity trend in enrollment of most graduate and all post graduate degrees in STEM fields. These factors ultimately impact the workforce with women less likely than men with similar degrees to actually be employed in these fields, constituting 23% of the science and engineering labor force and only 10 % of employed physicists. Well-structured interventions are needed to support African American women in overcoming barriers to increase their representation in STEM. What is Needed to Make a Difference? Extracurricular instruction in the form of supplemental educational programming is needed to identify, engage and retain African American female students to ensure their level of post-secondary education STEM success and beyond. The R25 Summer Research Education Program is designed to support education activities that complement and or enhance the training of a workforce to meet the nation’s biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research needs. Methods: The Engaging Multidisciplinary Professional Opportunities for Women in Environmental Research (EMPOWER) program was created to address the diversity in STEM. This summer research experience program was developed to educate high school science teachers in tandem with outstanding African American and Hispanic women from metro Atlanta high schools in the research approaches and competencies required for a deeper understanding of how to measure and assess environmental exposures, including air and water in the urban environment and link them to health effects. Results/Discussion: Students and teachers participated in a four-week summer program. The primary objectives of EMPOWER were two-fold including:1) Enhance teaching capacity within the sciences and assist in the development of public and environmental health curriculum along with in class activities intended to promote interest in STEM. 2) Provide African-American and LatinX women opportunities to engage in faculty lead research projects, obtain hands-on training in tandem with professional and soft skill development. EMPOWER’s major contribution will be to continue to enhance STEM education in high schools leading to higher quality post-secondary opportunities and greater workforce diversity. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2023 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

86 A summer research experience to encourage URM students’ participation in health sciences research

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: To increase the diversity of the health sciences research workforce, students from a variety of backgrounds must have the opportunity to participate in hands-on research experiences that highlight translating science to treating human disease. We developed a mentored translational research program for students from VCU and central Virginia HBCUs. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: The Wright Regional Center for Clinical and Translational Science collaborated with the existing VCU Honors’ Summer Undergraduate Research Program (HSURP) to expand their summer research experience to URM students from our partner HBCUs. For 10 weeks, students worked with faculty mentors to learn research techniques and engage in research projects. Students also participated in career development sessions like developing a CV and choosing graduate programs, and at the end of HSURP, they shared formal presentations of their research with peers and mentors. HSURP students were provided housing and a stipend, and mentors were provided a stipend. A post-program assessment gathered feedback on research and personal skills gained, the program’s influence on their career goals, and overall experiences with HSURP. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Nine students, 7 from VCU and 2 from Virginia State University participated in HSURP. Students were rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors, and 5 had previous research experience. Students worked on projects ranging from basic to social behavioral, community-placed research. All students rated the program as good or excellent. Post-program assessments showed all students believed they had a better understanding of ethical responsibilities of researchers, relevance of community-engaged and clinical/translational research, and interpreting journal articles after participating in the program. Four students reported they plan to continue working on their research projects during the academic year, and all students strongly agreed or agreed that HSURP prepared them for graduate or professional schools. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: A program that combines hands-on research training and career development opportunities provides a robust research foundation for URM students, which can increase their participation in the translational science workforce. Future program development will include preprogram training modules to better prepare students for research experiences.

A Short Summer Research Experience for Secondary Education Mathematics Majors at a Small Liberal Arts College

One of the best ways for STEM students to understand the methods and thought process of their discipline is through participation in an undergraduate research project. However, mathematics secondary education students at Hood College are historically less likely to self-select for these types of supplemental experiences than traditional mathematics majors. Hood’s Noyce STEM Teacher Education Partnership (NSTEP) sought to address this by designing a shortened summer research experience specifically for secondary education students in mathematics. The Summer Research Experience in Mathematical Modeling (SREM2) was a 4-week summer research project that provided this opportunity at a small college. Here we describe the benefits of such an experience and present the design of our program and its outcomes.

Biophysics concept inventory survey: An assessment in biophysical undergraduate education

By developing a metric to gauge student understanding, instructors can assess student base knowledge and better understand where to direct or how to instruct students. Here we introduce a Biophysical Conceptual Inventory Survey (BCIS), a 20-question, multiple-choice survey to quantitatively measure student learning regarding biophysical concepts. The BCIS contains five different question types: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, and synthesis. These questions probe the student's ability to apply the knowledge to various situations. We applied the BCIS on 32 undergraduate students over three-year cohorts of ∼10 students. Each cohort participated in a 10-week summer research experience, where each student leads their own interdisciplinary research project. Students take the BCIS twice, once right before the start of the REU (the pre-survey) and then again right at the end of the REU (the post-survey). The score from the pre-survey and post-survey are compared to determine the fraction of the maximum possible gain realized. This gain is compared against various factors of the students and REU situations. The BCIS shows no biases on gender, diversity, class ranking, or home university Carnegie classification. Further, most students showed a net gain with a mean of 0.124, with 75% showing no loss. The positive gain reflects the benefit of active learning with little to no traditional instruction. Thus, the BCIS is a robust, unbiased assessment tool for biophysical undergraduate education.

Intervening on impostor phenomenon: prospective evaluation of a workshop for health science students using a mixed-method design

BackgroundUnaddressed impostor feelings that impede developing interest in science and self-efficacy in conducting research have a dispiriting effect that perpetuates unsatisfactory diversity in the health science workforce when such feelings are experienced more by those historically underrepresented in the workforce. This warrants effective interventions to reduce the impact of impostor feelings and related factors that diminish career resilience. We examined the effects of a 90-minute workshop on impostor perceptions and growth mindset to raise awareness of impostor phenomenon (IP) and develop skills to manage IP successfully for students attending a 10-week summer research experience program.MethodsUsing a convergent mixed-methods design, data were analyzed from 51 racially and ethnically diverse students who participated in an interactive IP workshop. Using students’ half-way and final progress reports about their summer experiences and pre- and post-summer online surveys, we identified how the workshop changed awareness of IP and helped students develop coping strategies.ResultsStudents strongly endorsed the workshop, remarking that its content and personal stories from peers validated their own IP experiences and relieved anxiety by revealing how common the experience was. Many reported applying mindset-changing solutions, including positive self-talk, focusing their thinking on facts about themselves and situation, and grounding themselves firmly against potentially persuasive and confidence-eroding impostor feelings. While students reported end-of-summer impostor feelings at levels similar to before the program, they described being able to manage their feelings better and persist towards goals and challenging tasks. One measure of IP appeared to be addressed through students’ activation of a growth mindset, potentially explaining a specific mechanism for intervention. Discrepancies between qualitative responses and quantitative IP measures demand additional work on IP instruments.ConclusionsA brief, theory-based IP workshop administered by research training programs, including those as short as 10-weeks, can have positive impact on subsequent IP experience and its successful management, with potential long-term impact on retention of a diverse biomedical research workforce.

An undergraduate research experience in earth science education that benefits pre-service teachers and in-service earth science teachers

Three cohorts of six pre-service Earth Science teachers (undergraduate majors in Earth Science Education) participated in summer research experiences focused on developing dynamic physical models of Earth processes to help middle and high school students understand complex concepts and confront misconceptions. The pre-service teachers used published criteria for evaluating models. Participants deepened their understanding of specific Earth Science concepts and broadened their perceptions of effective, student-centered, constructivist pedagogical practices through the use of models and model-based learning. Our pre-service Earth Science teachers achieved the same benefits that STEM majors report from their undergraduate research experiences, including better understanding of the nature of science, gains in problem-solving and communication skills, increased confidence, collaborative skills and comfort in working independently. Evaluation of the research experience via the Undergraduate Research Student Self-Assessment indicated that pre-service teachers reported higher gains than STEM majors in nearly all categories. The pre-service teachers presented the results of their projects to in-service teachers in professional development workshops at a science teachers’ conference. In-service teachers’ responses to these workshops were uniformly positive (98.2%; n = 57). Unlike most professional development activities in which participants benefit, but presenters may not, these professional development activities benefited participants and presenters alike.