Pivots: Pivoting to Plants (P2P): Experiential Learning Program Applying Imaging and Data Science Tools from Cells to Fields

Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Saint Louis MO

Investigators

Abstract

The project Pivoting to Plants (P2P) is important to training a skilled, diverse workforce in plant biology and data science. In this project, P2P Fellows with community college or undergraduate degrees are selected to “pivot” to the field of plant science/data science from other general areas of interest and gain hands-on training and mentorship. The 1-year Fellowship at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center includes authentic research in the field of plant sciences, field trips to companies, participation in a regional conference, and a final presentation of the Fellow projects, which prepares Fellows for jobs in industry or for further graduate education. Fellows will also gain training in mentorship and leadership by aiding in mentorship of undergraduate interns at the end of their fellowship period. All projects will focus on using computer science and imaging, from the scale of microscopic cells, up through satellite images of crop fields, equipping participants with cutting-edge and transferable skill sets in data science. The Pivoting to Plants (P2P) experiential learning program will train participants in advanced imaging, image analysis, and data science technologies that are utilized for measuring plant phenotypes at the cellular, whole plant, and field scales. The P2P program aims to upskill recent graduates of community college and university programs from under-resourced institutions in the St. Louis region through a 1-year paid fellowship program at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center. Each year, five P2P Fellows will work with a domain expert and their team on a phenomics-based research project tailored to their interests and career goals. In addition to research, Fellows will receive additional training in phenomics-related technologies and techniques through hands-on workshops developed for the P2P program, as well as other professional skills (e.g., mentoring and science communication). The program will be evaluated in a variety of ways including metrics on research-related outputs, survey-based assessments, and formal external evaluation. A successful P2P Fellows Program will pivot recent community college and university graduates into careers that utilize advanced imaging, geospatial science, image analysis, data science, and software development. As part of the P2P Program, Fellows will have the opportunity to demonstrate their gained expertise by sharing their knowledge with others. First, Fellows will design their own outreach activity to be presented to the public during our annual PlantTech Jam outreach event. Second, Fellows will write a short weekly social media post to communicate their research to a wider audience. Finally, P2P Fellows will co-mentor REU students in the last quarter of their fellowship and will present their own research at a research symposium attended by local stakeholders (including industry). Collectively, peer mentoring and outreach activities will contribute to cohort cohesion and upskill participants towards their individual career goals. 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.