Engaging biology students through community-driven research at the urban-wildland interface

California State University San Marcos Corporation received a $499,970 Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's Division of Undergraduate Education under the STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076), effective October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2028. The award supports the development and implementation of research-based biology courses integrated throughout the undergraduate curriculum, with research projects focused on urban-wildland interface issues in North San Diego County. Primary products and services include curriculum development incorporating community-driven research experiences, collaborative course design with local resource management organizations, and faculty professional development to embed research methodology training into lower- and upper-division biology courses.

The project delivers comprehensive research training experiences designed to build student competencies in laboratory work, scientific problem-solving, and technical communication while preparing graduates for science and healthcare careers. As a Hispanic-Serving Institution initiative, the grant specifically targets increased academic success and workforce readiness for all biology students. Additionally, the project investigates how family engagement in student research experiences influences academic and career outcomes, generating evidence-based insights on broadening participation in STEM while contributing actionable knowledge to regional conservation and natural resource management efforts through student-conducted research on urbanization impacts on wildlife.

Abstract

With support from the improving undergraduate stem education: hispanic-serving institutions (HSI) program, this project aims to increase student success by ensuring every biology student at california state university SAN marcos participates in multiple research experiences while enrolled in their lower- and upper-division courses. The importance of research experience for students includes building the skills they need for careers in science and healthcare, such as working in labs, solving problems, and communicating their ideas clearly. To engage all biology students in research, the project aims to develop research-based courses throughout the biology curriculum. Research projects investigate how urban development impacts wildlife and natural resources in north SAN diego county. These research projects will be designed in collaboration with local resource management groups. By training students in research during their coursework, this project aims to strengthen their scientific skills, increase their academic success, and prepare them for the workforce. Students will also contribute valuable knowledge by investigating the impacts of regional urban expansion and demonstrate how research can help solve significant and real-world problems. To meet project goals, this project will begin by forming a collaborative group of instructors and community organizations to design and improve the research-based courses. This collaboration aims to provide students with the opportunity to conduct research that informs conservation and resource management efforts, demonstrating the tangible impact of research on societal well-being. This project will also investigate how participation in research-based courses affects the support students receive from their families for their academic and career goals. The project team expects that involving families in students? Research experiences will increase support academic and career aspirations and lead to better outcomes. Surveys, interviews, and institutional data will be used to evaluate how enrolling in research-based courses affects students? Academic performance, interest in science careers, and motivation to continue doing research. Findings will be disseminated at regional and national conferences with an emphasis on sharing instructor resources and course materials that can be implemented effectively. This project is funded by the HSI program, which aims to enhance undergraduate stem education and increase capacity to engage in the development and implementation of innovations to improve stem teaching and learning at hsis. 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 not planned for this award.