Research Experiences for Undergraduates: Multidisciplinary Research on Student Success in STEM at the Rochester Institute of Technology

This Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site award to the Rochester Institute of Technology will support the training of ten students for ten weeks during each summer over three years. The project will provide an opportunity for college students to be engaged in STEM education research. STEM education researchers are experts in a scientific field who apply a combination of scientific disciplinary expertise, educational and social-science research methods, and findings from the cognitive and neurosciences to investigate questions about undergraduate learning within a scientific field.

In this project, college students will take part in mentored research projects and participate in professional development activities to improve their understanding of research practices and skills, communication, and future career options. Knowledge from the research will be used to guide practices to improve STEM learning and inclusion. While the number of STEM degree earners is growing, there is a disparity among who, exactly, gets to earn those degrees.

The project has potential to make a critical contribution to the field on issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM education.

The overarching goal of this REU site is to grow the community of STEM education researchers who will implement practices that promote the learning and success of all STEM students. Students will participate in cutting edge STEM education research that will contribute to the field of STEM student success. The project team will (1) recruit and retain diverse undergraduate students in the STEM community, (2) engage undergraduates in rigorous, publishable education research, (4) support undergraduates to develop professional skills and build their identity as scientists, (4) prepare undergraduates for STEM careers and STEM Education Ph.D. programs, and (5) introduce future educators to evidence-based practices in teaching, mentoring, and assessment.

The project team will recruit applicants from a wide variety of institutions and select STEM majors who are passionate about education research and who contribute to the diversity of the STEM community. Project outcomes and self-reported survey data will be reported annually. REU participants will be tracked after the REU experience in order to follow student career paths.

Project participants will gain knowledge of inclusive and evidence-based strategies to improve their own professional, research, and networking skills.

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.