Project Grant 2147083

The Iowa State University was awarded a $599,937 Project Grant from the National Science Foundation Division of Environmental Biology to support the Biological Pathways to Adaptability, Interactions among the Genome, Epigenome and Environment program. The goal of this program is to enhance K-12 science teachers' understanding of how organisms adapt to changing environments and the research process through hands-on summer training and year-long engagement with university researchers. Teachers will partner with university faculty in their labs for six weeks during the summer to investigate major research questions regarding adaptability in plant and animal study systems. This will help advance teachers' content knowledge and ability to incorporate real-world scientific practices into their curriculum development. The program will also build ongoing relationships between teachers and university researchers to provide teaching and research collaboration throughout the school year, including visits between classrooms and campus. This award aims to increase scientific literacy and promote the Next Generation Science Standards by engaging students, especially from underrepresented and rural populations, in the plant sciences.