Performing Department
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Non Technical Summary
In the face of current and future social-ecological disturbance, long-term stewardship of natural resources requires innovative strategies focused on the nexus of water-energy-food systems and their intersection with justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Training the next generation of leaders must be embedded in the normative framework of sustainability and the interdisciplinary connections among the social-environmental-technological dimensions of agricultural and natural ecosystems. It must also engage people from distinct backgrounds and cultures to build a more diverse, stronger workforce.Hispanic-serving institutions, and insular area institutions of higher education located in the U.S. territories, have the potential to play key roles in this transition.This project will establish the Institute for INnovation in Sustainability Training, Applications and Research in Agri-environmental Sciences (IINSTAR-AS) at the University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras Campus (UPRRP). The goal is to engage, early-recruit, retain, train, and support students from Puerto Rico in preparation for successful careers in food, agricultural, and natural resources sciences. Wewill accomplish this by 1) providing4-year undergraduate fellowships (academic year) complete with tuition, living stipends, and materials expenses for students to pursue a degree in Environmental Sciences (ES) with concentration studies in Renewable Energy and Sustainability;2)providingand subsidizingthe cost of mathematics immersion courses for Fellows and other ESundergraduate students in their freshmen year to bolster core skills necessary to complete their degrees faster and embark on successful STEM careers; 3) movingbeyond a traditional disciplinary focus on biological and ecological concepts that form the background of studies in agricultural and environmental sciences to examine the interdisciplinary intersections that lie at the water-energy-food systems nexus andapplications to agri-environmental sciences; 4) providingconsiderable resources for visits to USDA agencies, capacity development workshops and related student services, and multiple in-depth experiential learning opportunities, such as apprenticeships and internships, with qualified mentors in Puerto Rico, Vermont, and Colorado, among other locations; 5) conducting innovative design thinking workshops that engage students, UPR faculty and USDA representatives in a collaborative process to co-develop novel research ideas that can lead to actionable solutions to pressing issues in the FANH sectors; and 6) employing a unique multi-level faculty-graduate-undergraduate model to guide student training and incorporate academic and psychosocial mentoringwhich broadens learning perspectives and builds leadership capacity and social responsibility. IINSTAR-AS Fellows will play key mentorship roles in transferring acquired knowledge to K-12 schools and serving as spokespersons for the program, expanding awareness about the opportunities for study at UPRRP and careers in the agricultural sciences and natural resources to Puerto Rican youth.The project leverages ES and UPRRP academic and student support services, multilevel psychosocial mentoring, collaborations with USDA agencies and other organizations in Puerto Rico and the United States, K-12 engagement and knowledge transfer, and a focus on transversal themes of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. The activities will benefit 20 IINSTAR-AS Fellows, up to 125 additional undergraduate students, and 250+ K-12 students.The project is expected to augment retention and accelerate graduaton of undergraduate ES students with increased awareness of career opportunities & contacts at USDA, training in leadership and employment skills, skills in agri-environmental sci. & renewable energy research/management/technology, knowledge of actionable solutions to agri-environmental problems, cultural sensitivity & advocacy of diversity principles, affiliation with professional agri-environ. sci. societies, and sense of belonging, self-efficacy, and identity as agri-environmental scientists. It is also expected to increase K-12 student awareness of agri-environmental problems and soultions, sustainability, renewable energy, and climate change concepts, and environmental career opportunities. These efforts will in turn contribute to preparing the next generation of scientists and leaders with the skills necessary to develop innovative, resilient, and equitable solutions to global resource management challenges.
Animal Health Component
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Research Effort Categories
Basic
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Applied
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Developmental
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Goals / Objectives
The project will establishthe Institute for INnovation in Sustainability Training, Applications and Research in Agri-environmental Sciences (IINSTAR-AS). The institute will be based at the University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras Campus (UPRRP) and integrated with the curriculum of the Environmental Sciences Program (ESP). The overarching goal of IINSTAR-AS is to engage, early-recruit, retain, train, and support students from Puerto Rico in preparation for successful careers related to innovative and sustainable use and management of food, agricultural, and natural resources.Specific objectives include:1) Providingfour-year academic fellowships for undergraduate students to earn their bachelor's degreeat UPRRP in Environmental Sciences and complete a Minor concentration in Renewable Energy and Sustainability. This includesmulti-level faculty-graduate-undergraduate student mentoring to guidelearning and training.2) Providing specialized coursework in mathematics immersion,sustainability principles as related to water-energy-food systems integration, andtransdisciplinary themes of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.3) Providing paid experiential learning opportunities for fellows to gain hands-on research and trainingin FANH sciences and build professional contacts while working in laboratory, office, and field settings.4) Providing capacity development seminars, workshops, and trainings to build undergraduate leadership and employment skills, professional connections, and broaden exposure to USDA career opportunities;5) Providing collaborative design thinking workshops with students and natural resource management professionalsto develop creative research ideas andhelp solve food, water,and energy security challenges;6) Providing opportunities for K-12engagement at local schools in Puerto Rico that result in knowledge transfer of agri-environmental and sustainability related concepts.
Project Methods
With IINSTAR-AS, we have developed a program of activities (asdescribed in "Products") that aligns with UPRRP's and the ESP's long-term goals and needs, as well as those of USDA-NIFA. Wehave incorporated robust financial resources and math immersion activities into our approach to help alleviate the challenges facing the target audience.SUMMARY OF APPROACHFirst, we will provide 4-year undergraduate fellowships (academic year) complete with tuition, living stipends, and materials expenses for students to pursue a degree in Environmental Sciences with concentration studies in Renewable Energy and Sustainability. Second, we will provide and subsidize the cost of mathematics immersion courses for Fellows and other ESP undergraduate students in their freshmen year to bolster core skills necessary to complete their degrees faster and embark on successful STEM careers. Third, we will move beyond a traditional disciplinary focus on biological and ecological concepts that form the background of studies in agricultural and environmental sciences to examine the interdisciplinary intersections that lie at the water-energy-food systems nexus andapplications to agri-environmental sciences. Fourth, we will provide considerable resources for visits to USDA agencies, capacity development workshops and related student services, and multiple in-depth experiential learning opportunities, such as apprenticeships and internships, with qualified mentors in Puerto Rico, Vermont, and Colorado, among other locations. Fifth, we will conduct innovative design thinking workshops that engage students, UPR faculty and USDA representatives in a collaborative process to co-develop novel research ideas that can lead to actionable solutions to pressing issues in the FANH sectors. Sixth, we will employ a unique multi-level faculty-graduate-undergraduate model to guide student training and incorporate academic and psychosocial mentoringwhich broadens learning perspectives and builds leadership capacity and social responsibility. IINSTAR-AS Fellows will then play key mentorship roles in transferring acquired knowledge to K-12 schools and serving as spokespersons for the program, expanding awareness about the opportunities for study at UPRRP and careers in the agricultural sciences and natural resources to Puerto Rican youth. Lastly, we will imbue all of the coursework, learning experiences and outreach activities with transdisciplinary themes of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.COOPERATIVE PARTNERSHIPSCollaborative support for carrying out the project activities will be provided by multi-sector partnerships from academic institutions, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. These includethe following:UPRRP Environmental Sciences Program, UPRRP Elementary School, Casa Pueblo,El Yunque National Forest, the International Institute of Tropical Forestry, the Natural Resources Conservation Service; RCE Puerto Rico-REDeS and collaborators, UPRRP Dept. of Environmental Sciences, Luquillo Long-Term Ecological Research Program, Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forest,Forest Service Southern Research Station, RCE Greater Burlington, Shelburne Farms,University of Vermont Spatial Analysis Laboratory,PR PROUD, On the Trek, Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust.RECRUITMENTIINSTAR-AS will recruit fellows among newly admitted ESP undergraduatesand students finishing their freshman year. We will alsotarget graduating high school seniors using social media, outreach activities and information tables, and school visits.Applicants will be required to complete and submit a) an application form, b) an essay (interest in pursuing an Environmental Sciences degree in the theme of this project, c) two letters of recommendation, d) strong GPA (High School > 3.5; Freshman > 3.0).KEY PERSONNELSenior/Key Personnel include aProject Director and fourCo-Directors. Other important personnel include a Professional Evaluator, anInstitute Executive Manager,Stakeholder Engagement Liaison,Graduate Student Mentors, and two teaching professors.EVALUATIONA formative evaluation will determine how effectively the activities are implemented and the degree to which they produce the expected outcomes on the corresponding participants. Systematic assessments and recommendations for improvement of the implementation, progress, and outcomes of each activity will be provided based on what was planned, the expected outcomes and any unexpected outcomes that may arise. A summative evaluation consisting of a comprehensive analysis of the evaluation results will be conducted for accountability purposes. An annual evaluation report will be produced to inform the project's overall impact on the different types of participants.Specific evaluation questions anddata collection/analysis measures/methods have been developed for the objectives and overarching goal.DATA MANAGEMENTAnIRB will be completed to ensure that research participants are adequately protected.Security protocols are to be instituted during our research and data aggregation procedures in the reporting of our findings to protect sensitive data and results. Survey data collected that contains personally explicit information will be stored on password protected servers or local machines and made available only to research team members associated with the analysis. This data will not be released publicly but will be aggregated into our findings to 1) ensure that the core findings are accessible but 2) sensitive information is not. Public agri-environmental data and products generated through the program related to research, management and training projects will be stored on UPRRP servers and digital libraries, and shared through the Environmental Data Initiative, as well via the IINSTAR-AS website and social media channels. Anticipated formats include word processing, spreadsheet, powerpoint, PDF documents, and web-based content.Most data will be madepublicly available with the exception of copyright-protected, third-party data and selected human-subject data produced by the project. Human subject datasets that have been stripped of identifying information, however, will bemade publicly available through our data catalog.SCALABILITYThe proposed approach aims at increasing retention and graduation ratesusinga multi-layer mentoring model designed to enhanceprofessional development and academic experiencesthat participants may do individually or as a cohort. This approach can be customized beyond the IINSTAR-AS project to different disciplines, institutions, and socio-cultural contexts.SUSTAINABILITY. The curricular changes enacted through the program will continue to be taught by ESP facutly beyond the end of the program. The myriad of activities proposed with partners within and outside UPRRP will allow to expand the list of potential mentors for senior research projects for ESP students andbetter inform students of the diversity of career opportunities within USDA. The project opens other venues of research-based and applied collaboration for UPRRP faculty and partner organizations with USDA agencies that will remain beyond the duration of this project.REASONABLE ACCOMODATIOSWe will work with the Office of Student Support Services to provide individual guidance to students throughout their academic endeavors and help with the identification and accessing of UPRRP resources when such needs arise.Students who need additional time to complete their degree will continue to be supported through other financial aid mechanisms available at UPRRP, such as ongoing funded faculty research, UPR student scholarships, and campus-wide student training programs. We will make every attempt to retain Fellows through the entire training program, including offering tutoring and remedial coursework if necessary.In the event one or more students must leave the program, we will recruit to involve new Fellows.