Inclusive Research-based Interdisciplinary Science Education

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2). This project aims to serve the national interest by significantly improving the recruitment, retention, and success of diverse students pursuing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) degrees and careers. The Inclusive Research-based Interdisciplinary Science Education (iRISE) project aims to decrease the racial and gender equity gap in students pursuing STEM education and careers.

The project intends to address this need by ensuring that students who start their journeys on community college campuses benefit from proven effective pedagogy that engages community college students in research experiences in their first STEM courses. Additionally, these community college students will benefit from engagement strategies that enable them to identify as scientists and make connections between their STEM education and real-world problems impacting their communities.

The iRISE project will meet these needs by utilizing the Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) model at the earliest point in students’ STEM educational journeys. These initial points of entry—or “gateway” courses—are where many students—especially underrepresented minority and first-generation students—both start and end their STEM studies.

The Inclusive Research-based Interdisciplinary Science Education (iRISE) project will create and study the impact of modified mini course-based research experiences called Pre-CURE Launchpads (PCLs) on community college students. These research modules will engage over 1,200 students at the earliest point possible within their post-secondary journeys, with a focus on six gateway courses in pre-college and college level mathematics, biology, chemistry, computer science, and engineering.

The PCLs will draw on students’ interests in how their STEM education impacts their communities, with the particular focus on the theme of air quality, social justice, and public health. To study air quality, students will utilize portable instrumentation to engage in authentic undergraduate research experiences that will help them make direct connections between their STEM education and tackling real-world problems.

A culturally responsive teaching framework will guide curriculum design with an emphasis on enabling students to identify as scientists and to engage students in community-based projects. The iRISE project is supported by an experienced educational researcher who will design and deploy a research study to investigate the development of STEM identity in community college students in their first post-secondary STEM course.

The project uses a peer mentoring model among faculty to disseminate the curriculum both within and across other community colleges. The curriculum and the results of the research will also be shared broadly through both conventional presentations at meetings and in scientific publications as well as virtually through the Canvas Commons and CUREnet.

In this way, the iRISE project will advance knowledge about how to improve STEM education and build capacity to carry out educational research at community colleges. The NSF program description on Advancing Innovation and Impact in Undergraduate STEM Education at Two-year Institutions of Higher Education supports projects that advance STEM education initiatives at two-year colleges.

The program description promotes innovative and evidence-based practices in undergraduate STEM education at two-year colleges.

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.