Exploring a Louisiana Academy of NSF CAREER Awardees, LANCA

Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge LA

Investigators

Abstract

Abstract Principal Investigator: Randolph S. Duran Proposal: EPS-1047309 Institution: Louisiana State University Title: Exploring a Louisiana Academy of NSF CAREER Awardees, LANCA This proposers seek to seed the collaborative engagement of Louisiana?s NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) awardees (collectively defined as Presidential Young Investigators (PYIs), NSF Young Investigators (NYIs), and CAREER awardees) and establish a mechanism to assess and evaluate the impact of this group?s collaborative efforts on the science and education enterprise within in the state. In addition, the proposers will explore seeding similar collaborative efforts in nine other EPSCoR jurisdictions. The proposers envision a two-day conference that will include participants from twenty-two of Louisiana?s institutions that provide baccalaureate or higher degrees, including four Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The targeted institutions represent a broad range - public, private, regional, minority serving, research intensive, and primarily undergraduate. Invited participants from other EPSCoR jurisdictions will have a role in evaluating the workshop?s effectiveness and in seeding collaborations of CAREER awardees within their respective jurisdictions. Intellectual Merit: The intellectual merit centers on establishing an eminent community of CAREER awardees whose collaborations could significantly strengthen the STEM research and education enterprise of several EPSCoR jurisdictions located primarily in the southeastern United States. The intellectual merit is associated with seeding the proposed organization of a ?Louisiana Academy of NSF CAREER Awardees? (LANCA) which could be adapted and/or adopted by other jurisdictions. The resulting ?academies? would seek to: (i) enhance continued career development of awardees, (ii) coordinate and strengthen educational/outreach activities within the jurisdictions, (iii) systematically identify, encourage and mentor potential future CAREER awardees, and (iv) undertake additional scientific, policy, and service activities determined collectively by the participants, and (v) serve as a resource to stimulate collaborations across the jurisdictions and to assist young faculty in applying for CAREER awards. Broader Impacts: The potential broader impacts of a cohesive, highly motivated group of ?young? investigators who are committed to STEM research and education for the benefit of next generation scientists and engineers could have a transformative impact on the STEM research and education enterprise of Louisiana. Additional broader impacts of the proposed work lie in the use of outcomes from the evaluation and assessment of the group?s efforts and the dissemination of that information to other EPSCoR jurisdictions for their use in initiating similar partnerships. Assessment categories will include the impact of the NSF funding on the awardees via trends in retention, longitudinal grant and professional success, and other indicators.