REU Site: Opportunities for Undergraduate Research in Human Development and Family Sciences (OUR HDFS) Fellowship Program

Texas State University - San Marcos, San Marcos TX

Investigators

Abstract

This REU Site will recruit undergraduate students from two- or four-year institutions and provide them with research experience in Human Development and Family Sciences (HDFS) across 25 weeks of the academic year. Students will join one of six mentorship teams consisting of a faculty mentor and a graduate student. They will receive focused mentorship, training to research the development of children and families, and professional development for research-focused HDFS careers. The intended impact is to (1) improve the educational expectations and attainment of the students, (2) prepare undergraduates for a range of research-focused HDFS careers, and (3) benefit communities, both directly through targeted interventions and indirectly through informing educational and social policies and practices. The program engages and trains promising scholars to enter the scientific field of HDFS. Specifically, students will learn how to apply quantitative and intervention/evaluation methods to study the development of children and families. A particular focus will be placed on training students in methodologies to examine how social, linguistic, familial, and individual factors influence psychosocial and academic outcomes in children and families. 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.