RCN-UBE: hbcu faculty collaborative network for the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning into teaching general biology

Active Project Grant Awarded

Award ID
2417643
Recipient
Awarding agency
Obligated
$500,000

Award facts

Completion date 72% complete
Funding agency
Division of Undergraduate Education National Science Foundation
Place of performance
Tallahassee, FL 32307, USA

Award details come from USAspending.gov.

Description

Abstract
At historically black colleges and universities (HBCUS), biology is the most frequently chosen major among science disciplines and many stem majors also require a general biology course. These courses often include traditional lectures and lab activities, which can lead to low success rates and diminished enthusiasm among students. This reliance on passive learning fails to engage even well-prepared students effectively. In addition, HBCUS are behind other institutions regarding integration of important cutting-edge skills, such as artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning (ML), which are required to prepare today's stem workforce. To assist in addressing these challenges, this network aims to enhance student success and enrich the overall learning experience by integrating AI/ML into the general biology curriculum. By doing so, the network will generate new knowledge that will enhance stem education and learning environments at florida a & M university (FAMU), jackson state university (JSU), grambling state university (GSU), and alcorn state university (ASU), while also benefiting other minority-serving institutions and preparing stem students for the modern workforce. The goals of this initiative include: 1) preparing biology students for careers in data-intensive fields such as biotechnology and BIO-data science by equipping them with relevant AI/ML skills; 2) enhancing the learning experience and performance in biology courses through active, technology-driven pedagogy; 3) improving overall success rates in general biology at HBCUS and developing a replicable model of AI/ML-integrated pedagogy that can be adopted by other institutions, and; 4) advancing AI/ML-based teaching and research at HBCUS, thereby broadening faculty and institutional capabilities in these cutting-edge technologies. To achieve these goals, 12 experienced biology faculty members from FAMU, JSU, GSU, and ASU will partner in workshops to learn basics of research with AI/ML and to develop modules to incorporate AI/ML applications into general biology courses. Courses infused with AI/ML will be compared to traditional sections to assess their impact on student performance and engagement. Network members and selected students from the courses will meet periodically to share results from the courses, develop new modules, and share research outcomes. This project is being jointly funded by the directorate for biological sciences, division of biological infrastructure, and the directorate for stem education, division of undergraduate education as part of their efforts to address the challenges posed in vision and change in undergraduate biology education: a call to action (http://visionandchange/finalreport/).? 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.- subawards are planned for this award.

Subawards

Subrecipient Amount Awarded
Alcorn State University Year 3 incremental funds $10,741
Jackson State University Year three incremental funding $32,022
Alcorn State University Collaborative research: RCN-UBE faculty collaborative network for the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning $15,481

Quick answers

Who received award 2417643?

2417643 was awarded to Florida A & M University by Division of Biological Infrastructure (National Science Foundation) on August 8, 2024.

How much is award 2417643 worth?

$500,000 has been obligated on 2417643.

Which agency awarded 2417643?

Division of Biological Infrastructure (National Science Foundation) awarded 2417643, with funding from Division of Undergraduate Education (National Science Foundation).

On GovTribe

See this award's full record

  • Every transaction and subaward
  • The recipient's other awards and teaming partners
  • Similar grant awards
  • Ask GovTribe AI about this award