REU Site: Multidisciplinary Training in Quantitative Methods

Western Washington University, Bellingham WA

Investigators

Abstract

This project is funded from the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Sites program in the SBE Directorate. It has both scientific and societal benefits in addition to integrating research and education. This REU Site award to Western Washington University (WWU) supports the training of nine U.S. students over a 10-week program during each of the three years of program duration (27 total students). Students learn advanced statistical and demographic training in the social sciences and apply their training to original public health research projects generated in collaboration with international partners. The REU program provides an experience to undergraduate students that is typically not available to them at their home institutions. Students from primarily undergraduate colleges and universities and from underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. The primary objective is to train social science undergraduates in research methodology in a cross-cultural and multi-disciplinary learning environment. This REU site helps social science students learn the basic concepts of good science, develop data management skills, analyze public health data, reach independent conclusions, mentor subsequent cohorts, and share their findings through the peer review process. This REU site also provides a unique opportunity to contribute research findings to a nation's larger focus on health, capacity building, and economic advancement. Students work with the Primary Investigators from Western Washington University, collaborative faculty, and student colleagues to analyze secondary data collected from regional health centers. With IRB approval, students learn how to code, clean, and analyze these data using advanced quantitative regression techniques. Students return to WWU to continue developing research findings in collaborative lab work and prepare results for dissemination to professional academic audiences. Intensive training allows students to contribute a social science perspective to Big Data efforts of the global scientific community and build U.S. capacity for cultivating diverse and globally engaged scientists. 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.