NSF RISE: Enhancement of Research Capability and Development of Early Career Faculty at Tuskegee University

The Historically Black Colleges and Universities Research Infrastructure for Science and Engineering (HBCU-RISE) activity within the Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST) program supports the development of research capability at HBCUs that offer doctoral degrees in science and engineering disciplines. HBCU-RISE projects have a direct connection to the long-term plans of the host department(s) and the institutional mission and plans for expanding institutional research capacity as well as increasing the production of doctoral students in science and engineering.

With support from the National Science Foundation, Tuskegee University intends to mentor five early career STEM faculty by immersing them in four interconnected activities. The proposed interventions enhance research and education in advanced materials, provide research experiences at national laboratories, foster grantsmanship and provide training in career-life balance.

The goal of the Tuskegee University (TU) RISE proposal is to develop, implement and disseminate a model to increase the number of junior faculty with the expertise in Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) at TU who will in turn increase the production of PhDs in MSE. Five early career STEM faculty will be immersed in the following four interconnected mentored interventions designed to bolster their expertise in MSE research and develop skills in the preparation of competitive proposals for research funding while adopting positive work-like balance practices: Intervention 1 (Research) will enhance research and educational capabilities in advanced materials; Intervention 2 (Research) will provide research experiences at national laboratories; Intervention 3 (Grantsmanship) will foster Grantsmanship through mentored support in all pre and post award processes; and 4) Intervention 4 (Work-Life Balance) will provide a Workshop Series on Career-Life Balance.

These interventions will allow TU junior faculty to become more competitive in attracting research grants from Federal agencies and foundations and increase the number of underrepresented African American doctoral students. The processes and knowledge developed through interventions 1 & 2 in advanced materials will help in product development in areas such as biomedical, agriculture and polymer science.

Additionally, the knowledge that will be generated by the RISE model is scalable and can be replicated at other HBCUs to overcome the challenges faced by their junior faculty. The broader impacts also include improved research capabilities at TU in advanced materials and the production of many minorities and women with B.Sc., M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees.

Participating students will be trained in cutting-edge research and learn communication and interpersonal skills which will enable them to become role models for other students. Moreover, these graduates will help bring much-needed diversity to the nation's advanced technological workforce. The human and physical scientific infrastructure established by the RISE grant will contribute to TU’s long-term vision of reaching the Carnegie classification as a doctoral granting institution.

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.