Project Grant 2235819

This five-year, $280,952 project grant from the National Science Foundation's STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076) will support the development and assessment of course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) using digitized natural history collection data across four institutions. Faculty from George Washington University, Widener University, Texas Tech University, and Westfield State University will collaborate to measure the impacts of these CUREs on student learning and science identity. Students who successfully complete the CUREs may participate in a mentored and financially supported cohort-based scientific conference experience, and the impacts of these conferences on further student gains will also be assessed. The project aims to produce a dataset documenting the impacts of CUREs and conference experiences on student learning in data science and geospatial skills, as well as on student perceptions of science identity and self-efficacy across institution types and student populations. Training materials for faculty and students will also be created to refine best practices for mentoring undergraduates through national conference experiences.