Louis Stokes Regional Center of Excellence: LSAMP - NSF International Center of Excellence (NICE)

Jackson State University, Jackson MS

Investigators

Abstract

The Louis Stokes Regional NSF International Center of Excellence (LSAMP-NICE) The goal of the Louis Stokes Regional NSF International Center of Excellence (LSAMP-NICE) is to create a collaborative framework for Lewis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation institutions to leverage resources, establish partnership and support from dozens of other NSF programs and countries, and to further strengthen the NSF Broadening Participation initiative through international research experiences in STEM. Specific and measurable objectives are, Objective 1: Dissemination and professional development through the establishment of a virtual portal, Objective 2: Organization of an annual LSAMP-NICE Conference for dissemination and professional development, Objective 3: Development of a dynamic archive of information or dissemination, exposing as many as 100 LSAMP undergrads and 20 LSAMP BD grad students to collaborative international research opportunities annually, Objective 4: Develop, implement, and assess faculty co-mentor award process, and Objective 5: Tracking the successful publication of peer-reviewed journal articles co-authored by LSAMP undergrad and BD grad students resulting from collaborative international research. The Intellectual Merit associated with LSAMP-NICE derives from facilitating collaboration among LSAMP alliances and dozens of complementary NSF programs with significant international research opportunities. International partners within LSAMP-NICE will make major contributions to expanded participation of underrepresented students in meaningful international research experiences. The Center will implement and assess co-mentor awards for US faculty who remain scientifically engaged with their students as they do research abroad. The benefits to students? research progress associated with simultaneous engagement of both US and international co-mentors will be explored. LSAMP-NICE activities will also lead to dissemination of research results across the worldwide STEM community and public networks. "This LSAMP Regional Center of Excellence - NSF International Center of Excellence is co-funded by NSF INCLUDES, which focuses on catalyzing the STEM enterprise to collaboratively work for inclusive change." Relatively few students in the NSF LSAMP program are given the opportunity to perform meaningful research outside the United States. This project serves the national interest via NSF's mission to promote the progress of science and to advance prosperity and welfare. LSAMP-NICE is led by a coalition of a Tribal College (Salish Kootenai College), a Hispanic Serving Institution (the University of Illinois at Chicago), a Historically Black College (Jackson State University), and a large public research university (Louisiana State University). LSAMP-NICE aspires to broaden exposure of international research opportunities to the LSAMP community, particularly Native Americans enrolled in a diverse range of institutions with different sizes and support resources, across LSAMP coalitions. Because science and engineering are increasingly global, and toward a globally engaged workforce, LSAMP-NICE seeks to ensure that U.S. institutions and researchers (established and in-training) are able to advance their research through international collaboration to help to maintain U.S. leadership within the global scientific community. Adapting the NSF model of collaboration, LSAMP NICE acts as an interface for the LSAMP community at large with NSF PIREs and ERCs, international science organizations, as well as ministries and institutions of higher learning across the world. This interface activity is accomplished through the establishment and maintenance of international partnerships for linkage to the LSAMP community, communication of best practices in collaborative research and professional development, broad communication of student success via annual conferences and digital dissemination of information to domestic and international constituencies. "This LSAMP Regional Center of Excellence - NSF International Center of Excellence is co-funded by NSF INCLUDES, which focuses on catalyzing the STEM enterprise to collaboratively work for inclusive change." 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.