Edgewood Ave

NURTURES

CROSS-INSTITUTIONAL COLLABORATION AND REIMAGINING TOWARD EQUITY, ACCESS, AND TEACHER EFFECTIVENESS: EXPANDING AND SUSTAINING PROJECT CREATE

HIGH ANGULAR RESOLUTION COMMUNITY SCIENCE AT THE CHARA ARRAY -THE CENTER FOR HIGH ANGULAR RESOLUTION ASTRONOMY (CHARA) ARRAY IS THE NATION?S PREMIER FACILITY FOR LONG BASELINE OPTICAL INTERFEROMETRY. WITH THE NUMBER AND SIZE OF ITS TELESCOPES, THE LENGTH OF ITS BASELINES, AND THE RANGE OF WAVELENGTHS COVERED BY ITS BEAM COMBINERS, THE CHARA ARRAY IS A UNIQUELY POWERFUL FACILITY FOR MILLIARCSECOND IMAGING. WITH ADAPTIVE OPTICS AND FOUR NEW BEAM COMBINERS, THE ARRAY IS REACHING DEEPER THAN EVER. SINCE 2004 CHARA RESULTS HAVE APPEARED IN SOME 245 PAPERS IN THE REFEREED LITERATURE. THIS INCLUDES OBSERVATIONS OBTAINED DURING THE HIGH-DEMAND OPEN ACCESS PROGRAM SUPPORTED BY NSF FOR SOME YEARS, AND OPERATED IN COLLABORATION WITH NSF?S NATIONAL OPTICAL-INFRARED RESEARCH LABORATORY. THIS AWARD EXTENDS THAT PROGRAM FOR ANOTHER THREE YEARS, AND INCLUDES A NEW SNAPSHOT IMAGING MODE. THE TEAM ALSO PLANS TO OFFER USER SUPPORT, COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS, AND AN ACCESSIBLE DATA ARCHIVE. CHARA WILL FOSTER COLLABORATIONS WITH AMATEUR ASTRONOMERS THROUGH THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF VARIABLE STAR OBSERVERS. CHARA TRAINS GRADUATE STUDENTS TO BUILD AND USE PRECISION TECHNOLOGY. THE CHARA ARRAY ACHIEVES SUB-MILLIARCSECOND RESOLUTION AT VISIBLE AND NEAR-INFRARED WAVELENGTHS, AND CAN BE USED TO RESOLVE THE RADII OF STARS ALL ALONG THE MAIN SEQUENCE AND AT DIFFERENT STAGES AS STARS EVOLVE OFF THE MAIN SEQUENCE. THE ARRAY REVEALS THE IMPACT OF LIMB- AND GRAVITY-DARKENING, THE SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION AND SIZE OF STAR-SPOTS AND ACTIVITY IN CONVECTION ZONES, AND PROVIDES PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF EXOPLANET HOST STARS. THE CHARA ARRAY RESOLVES BINARY STARS, MAPS ORBITS, AND PROBES INTERACTING SYSTEMS. EXTRAGALACTIC OBSERVATIONS PROBE THE STRUCTURE OF ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI CORES TO SHOW HOW SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLES IMPACT ACCRETION AND TRIGGER OUTFLOWS. 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.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

DEVELOPING INHIBITORS OF SEASONAL AND PANDEMIC INFLUENZA VIRUSES - SUMMARY INFLUENZA VIRUSES ARE A LEADING CAUSE OF HUMAN DISEASE DUE TO RESPIRATORY VIRAL INFECTION WORLDWIDE. IT IS THE OVERARCHING OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT TO ADVANCE PRODRUG CONJUGATES OF 4’-FLUOROURIDINE (4’-FLU), A NOVEL PYRIMIDINE ANALOG WITH CONFIRMED BROAD ORAL EFFICACY AGAINST INFLUENZA VIRUSES, AND AT LEAST ONE NON-NUCLEOSIDE INHIBITOR OF THE INFLUENZA VIRUS POLYMERASE COMPLEX, TO THE STAGE OF FORMAL PRECLINICAL DEVELOPMENT AND ASSEMBLY OF AN INVESTIGATIONAL NEW DRUG-ENABLING PACKAGE. THE PROJECT DESIGN IS DRIVEN BY OUR UNDERLYING HYPOTHESIS THAT EFFECTIVE NEXT-GENERATION THERAPEUTICS FOR THE TREATMENT OF INFLUENZA MUST BE ORALLY AVAILABLE, DISPLAY A BROAD INDICATION SPECTRUM AGAINST INFLUENZA VIRUS ISOLATES OF HUMAN, AVIAN, AND SWINE LINEAGES, AND IDEALLY COVER BOTH INFLUENZA A (IAV) AND B (IBV) VIRUSES. THESE PRODUCT PROFILE DEMANDS ARE DERIVED FROM THE CLINICAL BURDEN IMPOSED BY THE DIVERSE SPECTRUM OF SEASONAL INFLUENZA VIRUSES, THE PANDEMIC POTENTIAL ARISING FROM SPILLOVER OF ZOONOTIC AVIAN VIRUSES INTO THE HUMAN POPULATION, AND CURRENT FDA RECOMMENDATIONS THAT RECOGNIZE OUTPATIENT ADULTS SUFFERING FROM SEASONAL INFLUENZA AS THE PRIMARY PATIENT POPULATION FOR INITIAL CLINICAL TESTING. THESE DEVELOPMENTAL OBJECTIVES ARE BEST MET WITH DIRECT ACTING THERAPEUTICS, SINCE HOST-TARGETED ANTIVIRAL THERAPIES, ALTHOUGH OFTEN TANTALIZINGLY BROAD IN INDICATION RANGE, ARE PRONE TO UNACCEPTABLE SIDE EFFECTS THAT ARE INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE PRIMARY PATIENT GROUP PURSUED. IN PREVIOUS WORK UNDERPINNING THIS PROGRAM, WE HAVE DEMONSTRATED BROAD-SPECTRUM ANTIVIRAL ACTIVITY OF 4’-FLU IN CULTURED CELLS AND ANIMAL INFECTION MODELS AGAINST A CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT PANEL OF RNA VIRUSES. AGAINST THE INFLUENZA VIRUS INDICATION, 4’-FLU HAS CONFIRMED ORAL EFFICACY AGAINST SEASONAL, PANDEMIC, AND HIGHLY PATHOGENIC AVIAN INFLUENZA VIRUSES IN RODENT AND NON-RODENT MODELS. THE COMPOUND TRIGGERS IMMEDIATE CHAIN TERMINATION OF THE INFLUENZA VIRUS RNA-DEPENDENT RNA POLYMERASE (RDRP) COMPLEX AND CARRIES A HIGH BARRIER TO VIRAL RESISTANCE. IN PREPARATION OF CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT, WE HAVE GENERATED PRODRUG CONJUGATES OF 4’-FLU TO OPTIMIZE DELIVERY ACROSS THE GASTROINTESTINAL EPITHELIUM. TO BROADEN OUR INFLUENZA VIRUS RDRP INHIBITOR PORTFOLIO, WE HAVE IDENTIFIED A SET OF NON-NUCLEOSIDE RDRP INHIBITORS IN A LARGE-SCALE HIGH-THROUGHPUT SCREENING CAMPAIGN THAT WILL BE ADVANCED SIMULTANEOUSLY AS COMPANION DRUGS OR FOR COMBINATION THERAPY IN A MULTI- PRONGED APPROACH. TO SELECT A CLINICAL CANDIDATE FOR FORMAL DEVELOPMENT, 4’-FLU PRODRUG CONJUGATES WILL BE SUBJECTED TO DE-RISKING EFFICACY AND TOLERABILITY TESTING IN RELEVANT RODENT AND NON-RODENT ANIMAL MODELS AND DOSING PARADIGMS EXPLORED THROUGH INTERFACING OF DYNAMIC PK PROFILES WITH PERFORMANCE IN HUMAN AIRWAY EPITHELIUM ORGANOIDS (AIM 1). NON-NUCLEOSIDE RDRP INHIBITOR LEAD CANDIDATE SCAFFOLDS WILL BE SYNTHETICALLY DEVELOPED, MECHANISTICALLY CHARACTERIZED, AND SUBJECTED TO PROOF-OF-CONCEPT EFFICACY TESTING (AIM 2). EMERGING NON-NUCLEOSIDE LEADS WILL BE QUERIED FOR COMBINATION THERAPY WITH THE 4’-FLU CLINICAL CANDIDATE AND THE EFFECT OF MONO- AND COMBINATION THERAPY ON SUPPRESSING INFLUENZA VIRUS TRANSMISSION DETERMINED IN FERRETS (AIM 3).

PARTNERSHIP FOR RESIDENCY OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARAPROFESSIONALS, EDUCATORS AND LEADERS

ADVANCING INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIPS AND PATHWAYS TO ADDRESS MENTAL HEALTH WORKFORCE SHORTAGES IN GEORGIA SCHOOLS

DEVELOPING EDUCATORS AND LEADERS (PROJECT DEAL)

ADVANCING INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIPS AND PATHWAYS TO ADDRESS MENTAL HEALTH WORKFORCE SHORTAGES IN GEORGIA SCHOOLS

IMPLEMENTATION GRANT: COMMUNITY-SOIL-AIR-WATER (CSAW): A MODEL COMMUNITY-BASED LEARNING ECOSYSTEM TO TRANSFORM GEOSCIENCES -THE COMMUNITY-SOIL-AIR-WATER (CSAW) LEARNING ECOSYSTEM WILL INTEGRATE JUSTICE, EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION INTO THE PRACTICES OF COLLABORATING WITH COMMUNITIES IN GEOSCIENCES RESEARCH. TO EXPAND CAPACITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH COLLABORATIONS BETWEEN GEOSCIENTISTS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS, CSAW WILL BRING TOGETHER THREE ACADEMIC PARTNERS (GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY, A PREDOMINANTLY BLACK INSTITUTION, SPELMAN COLLEGE, A HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE, AND EMORY UNIVERSITY) WITH TWO COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS: THE WEST ATLANTA WATERSHED ALLIANCE AND ECO-ACTION. THIS PROJECT WILL ADDRESS THE QUESTION: HOW CAN GEOSCIENTISTS LEARN FROM, CONTRIBUTE TO, AND FIND SOLUTIONS WITH COMMUNITIES FACING FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEMS RELATED TO EARTH SYSTEMS? CSAW WILL EXAMINE HOW A LEARNING ECOSYSTEM MODEL CENTERED IN COMMUNITY-ENGAGED, PLACE-BASED RESEARCH CAN INCREASE: (1) RECRUITMENT, RETENTION, AND TRAINING OF DIVERSE GEOSCIENTISTS; AND (2) CAPACITY FOR AND ACCOUNTABILITY WITHIN COLLABORATION BETWEEN GEOSCIENTISTS AND COMMUNITIES ADDRESSING SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS. COHORTS OF FACULTY AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS ALONG WITH 12 POST-BACCALAUREATE (POSTBAC) SCHOLARS AND 15 MASTER?S STUDENTS WILL BE TRAINED IN BUILDING OUTREACH AND RESEARCH PROJECTS WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS USING A FRAMEWORK OF SHARED VALUES OF EQUITY, TRANSPARENCY, AND ACCOUNTABILITY. THESE PROJECTS WILL ADDRESS CRITICAL NEEDS IN PLACE-BASED EARTH SYSTEMS RESEARCH INCLUDING SOIL LEAD AND OTHER HEAVY METAL CONTAMINATION AND RADON EXPOSURE; AIR POLLUTION, CLIMATE CHANGE, AND HEAT MAPPING; AND WATER POLLUTION, URBAN FLOODING, AND GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE. THE OVERALL GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT ARE TO BUILD A BRIDGE: 1) BUILD AND FORMALIZE THE CSAW LEARNING ECOSYSTEM WITH ALL COHORT MEMBERS TO SOLVE SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES; 2) RECRUIT DIVERSE COHORTS OF POSTBACS AND MASTER?S STUDENTS AND TRAIN THEM IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND NETWORKING, WITH A FOCUS ON CENTERING JUSTICE, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION; 3) IMPLEMENT TRAINING, PROGRAMMING, AND PEDAGOGY PROTOCOLS TO RECRUIT, MENTOR, AND SUPPORT DIVERSE STUDENTS, COMMUNITY COLLABORATORS, AND FACULTY IN THE GEOSCIENCES; 4) DEVELOP AN ASSET-BASED MODEL OF COLLABORATION WITH COMMUNITY-DRIVEN RESEARCH TO INCLUDE FORMAL TRAINING, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND ASSESSMENT FOR ENGAGEMENT PRACTICES AND OUTCOMES; AND 5) GROW A NETWORK, MATERIALS, AND PROTOTYPE TO EXPAND THE CSAW LEARNING ECOSYSTEM MODEL TO OTHER COMMUNITIES, UNIVERSITIES, AND INSTITUTIONS. CSAW PARTNERSHIPS WILL ADVANCE A BROAD RANGE OF SCHOLARSHIP ON SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR SOLUTIONS, AND ON BEST PRACTICES FOR GEOSCIENTISTS IN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND CO-PRODUCTION. CSAW WILL PROVIDE A WELL-EVALUATED AND SUCCESSFUL MODEL TO ADOPT IN TRANSFORMATIVE GEOSCIENCES WORK ACROSS DISCIPLINES. THROUGH BROADENING PARTICIPATION OF UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS AND BUILDING AND ENHANCING PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY ADVOCACY GROUPS, THE CSAW LEARNING ECOSYSTEM WILL PROVIDE A PROTOTYPE TO PROMOTE GEOSCIENCE TRANSFORMATIONS AT OTHER INSTITUTIONS AND ACROSS DISCIPLINES. 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.

MRI: TRACK 1 DEVELOPMENT OF MULTI-SPECTRAL BAND ADVANCES FOR THE CHARA ARRAY -THE CHARA (CENTER FOR HIGH ANGULAR RESOLUTION ASTRONOMY) ARRAY COMBINES THE LIGHT FROM SIX 1-METER OPTICAL TELESCOPES AS AN INTERFEROMETER THAT RECORDS INTERFERENCE PATTERNS (FRINGES) TO MEASURE THE ANGULAR SIZE AND SHAPE OF OBJECTS ON THE SKY. CHARA?S ANGULAR RESOLUTION IS TEN TIMES HIGHER THAN THE LARGEST SINGLE APERTURE TELESCOPES CURRENTLY IN DEVELOPMENT. THIS ALLOWS ASTRONOMERS TO RESOLVE THE DIAMETERS OF STARS, IMAGE STELLAR SURFACES, DETECT CLOSE BINARY COMPANIONS, AND MEASURE THE STRUCTURE OF DISKS AROUND STARS. THIS PROGRAM DEVELOPS A NEW OBSERVING MODE THAT LETS THE CHARA ARRAY RECORD FRINGES SIMULTANEOUSLY AT VISIBLE AND INFRARED WAVELENGTHS. COLLECTING DATA AT DIFFERENT WAVELENGTHS IMPROVES STELLAR DIAMETER MEASUREMENTS, ENABLES BETTER CHARACTERIZATION OR EXOPLANET HOST STARS AND TRANSITING EXOPLANETS, AND REVEALS THE TEMPERATURE AND STRUCTURE OF STAR SPOTS, CONVECTION CELLS, AND CIRCUMSTELLAR DISKS. TO ACHIEVE THIS, UPGRADES WILL BE MADE TO THE TELESCOPES? ADAPTIVE OPTICS SYSTEMS TO OPERATE SIMULTANEOUSLY AT BOTH VISIBLE AND INFRARED WAVELENGTHS. A NEW STAR-TRACKING CAMERA WILL BE INSTALLED TO EXTEND ALIGNMENT STABILITY TO FAINTER TARGETS. THIS PROGRAM ALSO IMPLEMENTS A SUMMER INTERNSHIP FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING, LEVERAGING A UNIQUE ENVIRONMENT FOR EDUCATION AND PRACTICAL WORK EXPERIENCE IN ASTRONOMY AND INSTRUMENTATION. THE NEW MULTI-WAVELENGTH IMAGING MODE CREATED BY THIS PROGRAM DIRECTLY ENHANCES THE OPEN ACCESS PROGRAM AT THE CHARA ARRAY THAT PROVIDES 100 NIGHTS PER YEAR OF OBSERVING TIME TO THE US COMMUNITY. THE UPGRADES WILL OPTIMIZE PERFORMANCE AND SENSITIVITY TO PROVIDE HIGHER QUALITY DATA AT SUB-MILLIARCSECOND RESOLUTION. COLLECTING DATA SIMULTANEOUSLY AT VISIBLE AND INFRARED WAVELENGTHS WILL YIELD SIGNIFICANT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT STELLAR LIMB-DARKENING, WHICH DIRECTLY IMPACTS BOTH KNOWLEDGE OF STELLAR STRUCTURE AS WELL AS MEASUREMENTS OF STELLAR DIAMETERS AND EXOPLANETARY TRANSITS. THE NEW MODE WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED BY REPLACING THE DICHROIC BEAM SPLITTERS IN THE ADAPTIVE OPTICS SYSTEMS AT THE TELESCOPES TO MINIMIZE THE CHROMATIC DISPERSION BETWEEN THE VISIBLE AND INFRARED LIGHT TRANSPORTED TO THE BEAM-COMBINING LAB AND UPGRADING THE DETECTOR IN THE STAR TRACKING SYSTEM TO EXTEND RECENT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ALIGNMENT STABILITY TO FAINTER TARGETS. THE SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM BRINGS STUDENTS TO WORK WITH CHARA STAFF AND VISITING SCIENTISTS ON PROJECTS INVOLVING INSTRUMENT DESIGN, HARDWARE INSTALLATION, SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT, AND DETECTOR CHARACTERIZATION. 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.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

COMMUNITY SOIL-AIR-WATER: A MODEL COMMUNITY-BASED LEARNING ECOSYSTEM -THE COMMUNITY-SOIL-AIR-WATER LEARNING ECOSYSTEM WILL INTEGRATE COMMUNITY COLLABORATION WITH GEOSCIENCES RESEARCH. TO EXPAND RESEARCH COLLABORATION CAPACITY BETWEEN GEOSCIENTISTS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS, THIS PROJECT WILL BRING TOGETHER THREE ACADEMIC PARTNERS (GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY, SPELMAN COLLEGE, AND EMORY UNIVERSITY) WITH TWO COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS (THE WEST ATLANTA WATERSHED ALLIANCE AND ECO-ACTION). THIS PROJECT WILL ADDRESS THE QUESTION: HOW CAN GEOSCIENTISTS LEARN FROM, CONTRIBUTE TO, AND FIND SOLUTIONS WITH COMMUNITIES FACING FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEMS RELATED TO EARTH SYSTEMS? THE PROJECT WILL EXAMINE HOW A LEARNING ECOSYSTEM MODEL CENTERED IN COMMUNITY-ENGAGED, PLACE-BASED RESEARCH CAN INCREASE: (1) RECRUITMENT, RETENTION, AND TRAINING OF GEOSCIENTISTS; AND (2) CAPACITY FOR COLLABORATION BETWEEN GEOSCIENTISTS AND COMMUNITIES ADDRESSING ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS. COHORTS OF FACULTY AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS ALONG WITH 12 POST-BACCALAUREATE (POSTBAC) SCHOLARS AND 15 MASTER?S STUDENTS WILL BE TRAINED IN BUILDING OUTREACH AND RESEARCH PROJECTS WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS USING A FRAMEWORK OF SHARED VALUES OF TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY. THESE PROJECTS WILL ADDRESS CRITICAL NEEDS IN PLACE-BASED EARTH SYSTEMS RESEARCH INCLUDING SOIL LEAD AND OTHER HEAVY METAL CONTAMINATION AND RADON EXPOSURE; AIR POLLUTION, ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE, AND HEAT MAPPING; AND WATER POLLUTION, URBAN FLOODING, AND GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE. THE OVERALL GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT ARE TO: 1) BUILD AND FORMALIZE THE COMMUNITY-SOIL-AIR-WATER LEARNING ECOSYSTEM WITH ALL COHORT MEMBERS TO SOLVE ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES; 2) RECRUIT COHORTS OF POSTBACS AND MASTER?S STUDENTS AND TRAIN THEM IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND NETWORKING; 3) IMPLEMENT TRAINING, PROGRAMMING, AND PEDAGOGY PROTOCOLS TO RECRUIT, MENTOR, AND SUPPORT STUDENTS, COMMUNITY COLLABORATORS, AND FACULTY IN THE GEOSCIENCES; 4) DEVELOP AN ASSET-BASED MODEL OF COLLABORATION WITH COMMUNITY-DRIVEN RESEARCH TO INCLUDE FORMAL TRAINING, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND ASSESSMENT FOR ENGAGEMENT PRACTICES AND OUTCOMES; AND 5) GROW A NETWORK, MATERIALS, AND PROTOTYPE TO EXPAND THE COMMUNITY-SOIL-AIR-WATER LEARNING ECOSYSTEM MODEL TO OTHER COMMUNITIES, UNIVERSITIES, AND INSTITUTIONS. PROJECT PARTNERSHIPS WILL ADVANCE A BROAD RANGE OF SCHOLARSHIP ON ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR SOLUTIONS, AND ON BEST PRACTICES FOR GEOSCIENTISTS IN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND CO-PRODUCTION. THE PROJECT WILL PROVIDE A WELL-EVALUATED AND SUCCESSFUL MODEL TO ADOPT IN TRANSFORMATIVE GEOSCIENCES WORK ACROSS DISCIPLINES. THROUGH BROADENING PARTICIPATION AND BUILDING AND ENHANCING PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY GROUPS, THE COMMUNITY-SOIL-AIR-WATER LEARNING ECOSYSTEM WILL PROVIDE A PROTOTYPE TO PROMOTE GEOSCIENCE AT OTHER INSTITUTIONS AND ACROSS DISCIPLINES. 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.

CYBERCORPS SCHOLARSHIP FOR SERVICE: CYBERSECURITY WORKFORCE PREPARATION IN THE AGE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE -THIS PROJECT AIMS TO ADDRESS THE GROWING NEED FOR A HIGHLY-SKILLED NATIONAL CYBERSECURITY WORKFORCE CAPABLE OF RESPONDING TO RAPIDLY EVOLVING CHALLENGES IN THE AGE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI). WITH FUNDING FROM THE NSF CYBERCORPS(R) SCHOLARSHIP FOR SERVICE (SFS) PROGRAM, GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY (GSU) WILL PRODUCE GRADUATES CAPABLE OF ASSUMING A VARIETY OF CYBERSECURITY ROLES IN THE U.S. GOVERNMENT. MOREOVER, THE PROJECT WILL INCREASE THE DIVERSITY OF THE FEDERAL CYBERSECURITY WORKFORCE, LEVERAGING GSU'S POSITION AS A MINORITY-SERVING INSTITUTION (MSI). THE SFS PROJECT WILL EMPHASIZE RECRUITING AND GRADUATING HIGHLY QUALIFIED CANDIDATES FROM GROUPS THAT HAVE REMAINED UNDERREPRESENTED IN THE CYBERSECURITY FIELD, INCLUDING THOSE WITH MILITARY-AFFILIATIONS, FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE ATTENDEES, AND LOW-INCOME STUDENTS. THIS PROJECT'S UNIQUE AND INNOVATIVE FOCUS WILL IMPACT THE NATION'S COMPETITIVENESS AND THE U.S. GOVERNMENT BY PRODUCING HIGHLY SKILLED CYBERSECURITY PROFESSIONALS WHO CAN DEVELOP AND DEPLOY TRUSTWORTHY CYBERSYSTEMS TO ADDRESS GRAND CHALLENGES FACING SOCIETY. GSU HAS ESTABLISHED A STRONG CURRICULUM IN CYBERSECURITY AND PRIVACY THAT BALANCES TECHNICAL RIGOR AND HANDS-ON EXPERIENCES, OFFERING STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO STUDY VARIOUS TOPICS IN CYBERSECURITY AND PRIVACY. THE PROJECT FOCUSES ON TRAINING AND PREPARING A WORKFORCE WITH INTEGRATED CYBERSECURITY, PRIVACY, AI, AND MACHINE LEARNING COMPETENCIES TO APPLY AI EXPERTISE TO CYBERSECURITY AND BUILD ROBUST AND TRUSTWORTHY AI SYSTEMS. STUDENTS WILL BE PREPARED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICAL SKILLS TO APPLY AI EXPERTISE AND UNDERSTAND AI'S SAFETY, SECURITY, PRIVACY, RELIABILITY, FAIRNESS, AND ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS. OVER A FIVE-YEAR PERIOD THE PROJECT WILL PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIPS TO 25 STUDENTS STUDYING ISSUES AT THE INTERSECTION OF CYBERSECURITY AND AI. THE SFS STUDENTS WILL PARTICIPATE IN AN INTENSIVE ACADEMIC PROGRAM IN CYBERSECURITY, PRIVACY, AND TRUSTWORTHY AI, INCLUDING COURSEWORK AND RESEARCH IN CUTTING-EDGE AREAS TO SHARPEN THE STUDENTS' ABILITY FOR CREATIVE THINKING, MAKING THEM BETTER CYBERSECURITY PROFESSIONALS. IN ADDITION TO COMPLETING RIGOROUS, REQUIRED COURSEWORK, THE SFS SCHOLARS WILL ENGAGE IN EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING THROUGH OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP RESEARCH PROJECTS AND OTHER EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, WHICH WILL PROVIDED DEEPLY TECHNICAL AS WELL AS INTERDISCIPLINARY LEARNING EXPERIENCES AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT TAILORED TO EACH STUDENT'S PREPARATION AND ASPIRATION. THIS PROJECT IS SUPPORTED BY THE CYBERCORPS(R) SCHOLARSHIP FOR SERVICE (SFS) PROGRAM, WHICH FUNDS PROPOSALS ESTABLISHING OR CONTINUING SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS IN CYBERSECURITY AND ALIGNS WITH THE U.S. NATIONAL CYBER STRATEGY TO DEVELOP A SUPERIOR CYBERSECURITY WORKFORCE. FOLLOWING GRADUATION, SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS ARE REQUIRED TO WORK IN CYBERSECURITY FOR A FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL, OR TRIBAL GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION FOR THE SAME DURATION AS THEIR SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT. 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.

HEALTHY START INITIATIVE - PROJECT TITLE: GEORGIA STRONG FAMILIES PROGRAM (GSFP) ADDRESS: 55 PARK PLACE ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30303 PROJECT DIRECTOR NAME: TWANNA NELSON CONTACT PHONE NUMBER: 4044130301 EMAIL ADDRESS: TNELSON45@GSU.EDU WEBSITE ADDRESS: HTTPS://GHPC.GSU.EDU/ GRANT FUNDS REQUESTED: $1,100,000 ANNUALLY POPULATION SERVED: THE GSFP TARGET POPULATION IS BLACK WOMEN OF CHILDBEARING AGE (14-51) RESIDING IN THE PROJECT AREA. THIS POPULATION HAS BEEN DETERMINED TO HAVE THE HIGHEST INFANT AND MATERNAL MORTALITY RATES THEREBY NEEDING THE SUPPORT OF HEALTHY START. CHALLENGE (NEEDS ADDRESSED) THE HEALTHY START FUNDING WILL PROVIDE GEORGIA WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO FURTHER STRENGTHEN THE SYSTEM OF CARE FOR FAMILIES AND EXPAND SERVICES. GEORGIA CONTINUES TO NEED LAYERED EARLY INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION SERVICES TO ADDRESS ADVERSE HEALTH OUTCOMES. GEORGIA IS SEEN AT THE TOP OF MANY LISTS, INCLUDING FORBES’ 2023 WORST STATES FOR HEALTHCARE LIST, WHICH COMPILES TWENTY-FOUR METRICS SPANNING FOUR KEY CATEGORIES: HEALTH ACCESS, HEALTHCARE OUTCOMES, HEALTHCARE COST, AND QUALITY OF HOSPITAL CARE. MORE SPECIFICALLY THE 3-YEAR IMR (2019-2021) FOR THE TARGET POPULATION IN THE EIGHT COUNTIES IS 12.5 (COMPARED TO 5.9 FOR WHITE WOMEN IN THE SAME REGION), THE 3-YEAR PRETERM BIRTH RATE IS 17.8 (COMPARED TO 12.2 FOR WHITE WOMEN), AND THE 3-YEAR LOW BIRTHWEIGHT RATE IS 17.8 (COMPARED TO 12.2 FOR WHITE WOMEN). THIS EIGHT-COUNTY REGION IS SERVED BY TWO HOSPITALS WITH OBSTETRIC CARE, TWO RURAL HEALTH CLINICS, AND HAS AN OB-GYN PROVIDER RATE OF 7.7, WITH HALF OF THE COUNTIES NOT HAVING ANY OB-GYN PROVIDERS WITHIN THE COUNTY. METHODOLOGY (PROPOSED SERVICES): THE GOAL OF THE GSFP IS TO IMPROVE CHILD AND FAMILY OUTCOMES BY IMPLEMENTING STRATEGIES WITHIN A COMMUNITY-BASED PUBLIC HEALTH MATERNAL AND EARLY CHILDHOOD SYSTEM. GSFP IS DESIGNED TO 1) IMPROVE COORDINATION OF SERVICES FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES AT THE STATE AND LOCAL LEVELS; AND 2) PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES WHO RESIDE IN CRISP, CLAY, DOOLY, MUSCOGEE, STEWART, SUMTER, TALBOT, AND TAYLOR COUNTIES. THE PROJECT AREA IS COMPRISED OF MOSTLY RURAL COUNTIES. FUNDING SUPPORTS THE IMPLEMENTATION OF GSFP WHICH TARGETS THE NEEDS OF EXPECTANT PARENTS, CHILDREN AGED FROM BIRTH TO 18 MONTHS, AND THEIR FAMILIES. THE SYSTEM FUNCTIONS INCLUDE IDENTIFICATION, REFERRAL, SCREENING, PARENT EDUCATION, AND LINKAGE TO APPROPRIATE COMMUNITY SERVICES. THIS REQUIRES STRONG COLLABORATIONS BETWEEN COMMUNITY AGENCIES SERVING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, WHICH THE GSFP HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN SUCCESSFUL THROUGH ITS ESTABLISHED COMMUNITY CONSORTIUM. ONE MAJOR SERVICE STRATEGY FOR THIS SYSTEM IS THE USE OF THE PARTNERS FOR HEALTHY BABIES HOME-VISITING MODEL. THE GSFP WILL PROVIDE BOTH VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON VISITS TO ENSURE FAMILIES ARE SUPPORTED BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER PREGNANCY. THE GSFP WILL ALSO PROVIDE ENHANCED SERVICES TO THE TARGET POPULATION THROUGH A NURSE PRACTITIONER (NP) AND PROVISIONS FOR DOULAS SERVICES. THE NP WILL PROVIDE HOME VISITS, AND EDUCATION TO FAMILIES AND STAFF ON WARNING SIGNS ALONG WITH AN EMPHASIS ON ENCOURAGING POSTPARTUM FOLLOW-UP AND CARE. MOTHERS ENROLLED WILL HAVE ACCESS TO DOULA SERVICES DURING PREGNANCY, FOR SUPPORT DURING CHILDBIRTH AND UP TO 3 MONTHS POSTPARTUM. GSFP WILL BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT INCORPORATING MENTAL/BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AS A KEY STRATEGY TO IMPROVING BOTH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELL-BEING. THE GSFP WILL ADDRESS MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CHALLENGES IN THE FATHER, MOTHER, AND INFANTS TO ENSURE A HIGHER QUALITY OF LIFE. IMPLEMENTATION ALSO INCLUDES THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COHESIVE PLAN TO PROMOTE PROGRAM QUALITY AND EFFECTIVENESS, AS WELL AS A COORDINATED DATA SYSTEM TO GUIDE DECISION-MAKING AND ASSIST COUNTIES IN MONITORING PROGRESS TOWARD DESIRED RESULTS AND CONTINUOUS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT.

RFA-DP-24-004, PRC CORE: PROMOTING SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS IN THE MOST DIVERSE SQUARE MILE IN AMERICA

RFA-DP-24-004, PRC CORE: PROMOTING SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS IN THE MOST DIVERSE SQUARE MILE IN AMERICA

CYBERCORPS SCHOLARSHIP FOR SERVICE: CYBERSECURITY WORKFORCE PREPARATION IN THE AGE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE -THIS PROJECT AIMS TO ADDRESS THE GROWING NEED FOR A HIGHLY-SKILLED NATIONAL CYBERSECURITY WORKFORCE CAPABLE OF RESPONDING TO RAPIDLY EVOLVING CHALLENGES IN THE AGE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI). WITH FUNDING FROM THE NSF CYBERCORPS(R) SCHOLARSHIP FOR SERVICE (SFS) PROGRAM, GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY (GSU) WILL PRODUCE GRADUATES CAPABLE OF ASSUMING A VARIETY OF CYBERSECURITY ROLES IN THE U.S. GOVERNMENT. MOREOVER, THE PROJECT WILL INCREASE THE DIVERSITY OF THE FEDERAL CYBERSECURITY WORKFORCE, LEVERAGING GSU'S POSITION AS A MINORITY-SERVING INSTITUTION (MSI). THE SFS PROJECT WILL EMPHASIZE RECRUITING AND GRADUATING HIGHLY QUALIFIED CANDIDATES FROM GROUPS THAT HAVE REMAINED UNDERREPRESENTED IN THE CYBERSECURITY FIELD, INCLUDING THOSE WITH MILITARY-AFFILIATIONS, FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE ATTENDEES, AND LOW-INCOME STUDENTS. THIS PROJECT'S UNIQUE AND INNOVATIVE FOCUS WILL IMPACT THE NATION'S COMPETITIVENESS AND THE U.S. GOVERNMENT BY PRODUCING HIGHLY SKILLED CYBERSECURITY PROFESSIONALS WHO CAN DEVELOP AND DEPLOY TRUSTWORTHY CYBERSYSTEMS TO ADDRESS GRAND CHALLENGES FACING SOCIETY. GSU HAS ESTABLISHED A STRONG CURRICULUM IN CYBERSECURITY AND PRIVACY THAT BALANCES TECHNICAL RIGOR AND HANDS-ON EXPERIENCES, OFFERING STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO STUDY VARIOUS TOPICS IN CYBERSECURITY AND PRIVACY. THE PROJECT FOCUSES ON TRAINING AND PREPARING A WORKFORCE WITH INTEGRATED CYBERSECURITY, PRIVACY, AI, AND MACHINE LEARNING COMPETENCIES TO APPLY AI EXPERTISE TO CYBERSECURITY AND BUILD ROBUST AND TRUSTWORTHY AI SYSTEMS. STUDENTS WILL BE PREPARED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICAL SKILLS TO APPLY AI EXPERTISE AND UNDERSTAND AI'S SAFETY, SECURITY, PRIVACY, RELIABILITY, FAIRNESS, AND ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS. OVER A FIVE-YEAR PERIOD THE PROJECT WILL PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIPS TO 25 STUDENTS STUDYING ISSUES AT THE INTERSECTION OF CYBERSECURITY AND AI. THE SFS STUDENTS WILL PARTICIPATE IN AN INTENSIVE ACADEMIC PROGRAM IN CYBERSECURITY, PRIVACY, AND TRUSTWORTHY AI, INCLUDING COURSEWORK AND RESEARCH IN CUTTING-EDGE AREAS TO SHARPEN THE STUDENTS' ABILITY FOR CREATIVE THINKING, MAKING THEM BETTER CYBERSECURITY PROFESSIONALS. IN ADDITION TO COMPLETING RIGOROUS, REQUIRED COURSEWORK, THE SFS SCHOLARS WILL ENGAGE IN EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING THROUGH OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP RESEARCH PROJECTS AND OTHER EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, WHICH WILL PROVIDED DEEPLY TECHNICAL AS WELL AS INTERDISCIPLINARY LEARNING EXPERIENCES AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT TAILORED TO EACH STUDENT'S PREPARATION AND ASPIRATION. THIS PROJECT IS SUPPORTED BY THE CYBERCORPS(R) SCHOLARSHIP FOR SERVICE (SFS) PROGRAM, WHICH FUNDS PROPOSALS ESTABLISHING OR CONTINUING SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS IN CYBERSECURITY AND ALIGNS WITH THE U.S. NATIONAL CYBER STRATEGY TO DEVELOP A SUPERIOR CYBERSECURITY WORKFORCE. FOLLOWING GRADUATION, SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS ARE REQUIRED TO WORK IN CYBERSECURITY FOR A FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL, OR TRIBAL GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION FOR THE SAME DURATION AS THEIR SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT. 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.

IMPLEMENTATION GRANT: COMMUNITY-SOIL-AIR-WATER (CSAW): A MODEL COMMUNITY-BASED LEARNING ECOSYSTEM TO TRANSFORM GEOSCIENCES -THE COMMUNITY-SOIL-AIR-WATER (CSAW) LEARNING ECOSYSTEM WILL INTEGRATE JUSTICE, EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION INTO THE PRACTICES OF COLLABORATING WITH COMMUNITIES IN GEOSCIENCES RESEARCH. TO EXPAND CAPACITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH COLLABORATIONS BETWEEN GEOSCIENTISTS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS, CSAW WILL BRING TOGETHER THREE ACADEMIC PARTNERS (GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY, A PREDOMINANTLY BLACK INSTITUTION, SPELMAN COLLEGE, A HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE, AND EMORY UNIVERSITY) WITH TWO COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS: THE WEST ATLANTA WATERSHED ALLIANCE AND ECO-ACTION. THIS PROJECT WILL ADDRESS THE QUESTION: HOW CAN GEOSCIENTISTS LEARN FROM, CONTRIBUTE TO, AND FIND SOLUTIONS WITH COMMUNITIES FACING FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEMS RELATED TO EARTH SYSTEMS? CSAW WILL EXAMINE HOW A LEARNING ECOSYSTEM MODEL CENTERED IN COMMUNITY-ENGAGED, PLACE-BASED RESEARCH CAN INCREASE: (1) RECRUITMENT, RETENTION, AND TRAINING OF DIVERSE GEOSCIENTISTS; AND (2) CAPACITY FOR AND ACCOUNTABILITY WITHIN COLLABORATION BETWEEN GEOSCIENTISTS AND COMMUNITIES ADDRESSING SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS. COHORTS OF FACULTY AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS ALONG WITH 12 POST-BACCALAUREATE (POSTBAC) SCHOLARS AND 15 MASTER?S STUDENTS WILL BE TRAINED IN BUILDING OUTREACH AND RESEARCH PROJECTS WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS USING A FRAMEWORK OF SHARED VALUES OF EQUITY, TRANSPARENCY, AND ACCOUNTABILITY. THESE PROJECTS WILL ADDRESS CRITICAL NEEDS IN PLACE-BASED EARTH SYSTEMS RESEARCH INCLUDING SOIL LEAD AND OTHER HEAVY METAL CONTAMINATION AND RADON EXPOSURE; AIR POLLUTION, CLIMATE CHANGE, AND HEAT MAPPING; AND WATER POLLUTION, URBAN FLOODING, AND GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE. THE OVERALL GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT ARE TO BUILD A BRIDGE: 1) BUILD AND FORMALIZE THE CSAW LEARNING ECOSYSTEM WITH ALL COHORT MEMBERS TO SOLVE SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES; 2) RECRUIT DIVERSE COHORTS OF POSTBACS AND MASTER?S STUDENTS AND TRAIN THEM IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND NETWORKING, WITH A FOCUS ON CENTERING JUSTICE, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION; 3) IMPLEMENT TRAINING, PROGRAMMING, AND PEDAGOGY PROTOCOLS TO RECRUIT, MENTOR, AND SUPPORT DIVERSE STUDENTS, COMMUNITY COLLABORATORS, AND FACULTY IN THE GEOSCIENCES; 4) DEVELOP AN ASSET-BASED MODEL OF COLLABORATION WITH COMMUNITY-DRIVEN RESEARCH TO INCLUDE FORMAL TRAINING, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND ASSESSMENT FOR ENGAGEMENT PRACTICES AND OUTCOMES; AND 5) GROW A NETWORK, MATERIALS, AND PROTOTYPE TO EXPAND THE CSAW LEARNING ECOSYSTEM MODEL TO OTHER COMMUNITIES, UNIVERSITIES, AND INSTITUTIONS. CSAW PARTNERSHIPS WILL ADVANCE A BROAD RANGE OF SCHOLARSHIP ON SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR SOLUTIONS, AND ON BEST PRACTICES FOR GEOSCIENTISTS IN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND CO-PRODUCTION. CSAW WILL PROVIDE A WELL-EVALUATED AND SUCCESSFUL MODEL TO ADOPT IN TRANSFORMATIVE GEOSCIENCES WORK ACROSS DISCIPLINES. THROUGH BROADENING PARTICIPATION OF UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS AND BUILDING AND ENHANCING PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY ADVOCACY GROUPS, THE CSAW LEARNING ECOSYSTEM WILL PROVIDE A PROTOTYPE TO PROMOTE GEOSCIENCE TRANSFORMATIONS AT OTHER INSTITUTIONS AND ACROSS DISCIPLINES. 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.

EXPLORING SOURCES OF HETEROGENEITY IN SUPPLEMENTAL INTERVENTIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH MATHEMATICS DIFFICULTIES WITHIN MULTI-TIERED SYSTEMS OF SUPPORT: A META-ANALYSIS -MANY STUDENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY FACE ONGOING CHALLENGES IN LEARNING MATHEMATICS, WHICH CAN SIGNIFICANTLY LIMIT THEIR ACADEMIC PROGRESS AND RESTRICT FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES IN HIGHER EDUCATION AND CAREERS, PARTICULARLY IN HIGH-DEMAND FIELDS SUCH AS SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS (STEM). TO ADDRESS THESE DIFFICULTIES, SCHOOLS FREQUENTLY IMPLEMENT SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS, SUCH AS TUTORING, SMALL GROUP INTERVENTIONS, OR SPECIALIZED CURRICULA, AIMED AT HELPING STRUGGLING LEARNERS TO INCREASE THEIR MATHEMATICS PROFICIENCY. CRITICAL QUESTIONS REMAIN UNANSWERED DESPITE THESE EFFORTS: WHICH INSTRUCTIONAL APPROACHES ARE MOST EFFECTIVE? FOR WHICH TYPES OF LEARNERS DO THEY WORK BEST? AND UNDER WHAT CLASSROOM OR SCHOOL CONDITIONS DO THEY PRODUCE THE STRONGEST OUTCOMES? THIS PROJECT SEEKS TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS BY SYNTHESIZING DECADES OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH FOCUSED ON MATHEMATICS INTERVENTIONS. BY ANALYZING PATTERNS ACROSS A WIDE RANGE OF STUDIES, THE PROJECT AIMS TO IDENTIFY THE SPECIFIC TEACHING STRATEGIES, LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS, AND IMPLEMENTATION PRACTICES THAT CONSISTENTLY SUPPORT POSITIVE STUDENT OUTCOMES IN MATHEMATICS. THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO EQUIP EDUCATORS, SCHOOL LEADERS, RESEARCHERS, AND POLICYMAKERS WITH CLEAR, EVIDENCE-BASED GUIDANCE ON DESIGNING AND DELIVERING EFFECTIVE MATHEMATICS SUPPORT FOR STRUGGLING STUDENTS. THIS WORK INTENDS TO STRENGTHEN THE FOUNDATIONAL UNDERSTANDING ABOUT STUDENTS AND THEIR ABILITY TO ENGAGE WITH COMPLEX MATHEMATICAL CONCEPTS. TO ACHIEVE THIS, THE RESEARCH TEAM WILL CONDUCT A COMPREHENSIVE META-ANALYSIS OF GROUP-DESIGN (I.E., EXPERIMENTAL AND QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL) AND SINGLE-CASE DESIGN STUDIES EVALUATING SUPPLEMENTAL MATHEMATICS INTERVENTIONS. THE ANALYSIS WILL EXAMINE HOW MALLEABLE INSTRUCTIONAL FEATURES, SUCH AS INTERVENTION DOSAGE (E.G., DURATION AND FREQUENCY), ALIGNMENT WITH CORE CONTENT (E.G., FRACTIONS AND ALGEBRA), AND STUDENT CHARACTERISTICS (E.G., AREA OF ACADEMIC RISK, SUCH AS MATHEMATICS OR READING), MODERATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF INTERVENTIONS. THE STUDY WILL APPLY TRADITIONAL META-REGRESSION TECHNIQUES AND ADVANCED MACHINE LEARNING METHODS, SPECIFICALLY RANDOM FOREST REGRESSION VIA THE METAFOREST PACKAGE IN R. THIS APPROACH USES DECISION TREES TO IDENTIFY WHICH STUDY FEATURES MOST STRONGLY INFLUENCE OUTCOMES, ALLOWING THE TEAM TO DETECT COMPLEX, NON-LINEAR MODERATOR EFFECTS THAT MAY NOT BE VISIBLE THROUGH TRADITIONAL MODELS. RISK OF BIAS AND STUDY QUALITY WILL BE RIGOROUSLY ASSESSED USING FRAMEWORKS SUCH AS THE WHAT WORKS CLEARINGHOUSE DESIGN STANDARDS AND THE COUNCIL FOR EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN QUALITY INDICATORS. STUDENTS WITH MATHEMATICS DIFFICULTIES INCLUDE LEARNERS FROM A WIDE RANGE OF EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUNDS, MAKING IT ESSENTIAL TO IDENTIFY EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTIONAL APPROACHES THAT WORK ACROSS VARIED SETTINGS AND STUDENT POPULATIONS. BY INTEGRATING MULTIPLE ANALYTIC STRATEGIES WITH A STRONG THEORETICAL FOUNDATION, THE PROJECT AIMS TO PRODUCE NUANCED AND ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS THAT IMPROVE INTERVENTION EFFECTIVENESS AND SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MORE STEM-READY STUDENT POPULATION. THIS PROJECT IS SUPPORTED BY THE EDU CORE RESEARCH (ECR) PROGRAM. ECR SUPPORTS FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH THAT GENERATES FOUNDATIONAL KNOWLEDGE TO ADVANCE RESEARCH LITERATURE IN STEM LEARNING AND LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS. 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.- SUBAWARDS ARE PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

GEORGIA STATE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND NUTRITION PROGRAM (G-SPAN) - THOUGH SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS AND PROGRESS HAVE BEEN MADE IN NUTRITION AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, HEALTH DISPARITIES PERSIST IN OBESITY PREVALENCE, CHRONIC DISEASE PREVALENCE, PHYSICAL FITNESS, FOOD AND NUTRITION SECURITY, BREASTFEEDING PREVALENCE, AND EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION ACROSS GEORGIA. THIS PROPOSAL DETAILS A PLAN TO EXPAND EXISTING INITIATIVES AND ESTABLISH NEW POLICY, SYSTEMS AND ENVIRONMENTAL (PSE) STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES IN THE STATE OF GEORGIA THAT WILL IMPROVE THE CAPACITY OF STATE, REGIONAL, AND LOCAL AGENCIES TO ADDRESS THESE DISPARITIES EFFECTIVELY. THE PLAN STRATEGIES FOCUS ON NUTRITION, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, BREASTFEEDING, AND EARLY CARE EDUCATION OBESITY PREVENTION/FARM TO EARLY CARE. SPECIFICALLY, THIS PROPOSAL SEEKS TO ADDRESS INEQUITIES IN EACH OF THESE AREAS WITHIN PRIORITY POPULATIONS IN SELECT GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS OF GEORGIA. BY BRINGING TOGETHER VARIOUS STATE AND LOCAL PARTNERS, INCLUDING THE VOICE OF COMMUNITIES IMPACTED BY THESE DISPARITIES, THIS PROPOSAL WILL STRENGTHEN EXISTING PARTNERSHIPS AND EXPAND THEIR CAPACITY TO ACHIEVE IMPROVED HEALTH OUTCOMES. WITH EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN SUPPORTING STATE LEVEL PSE CHANGE, PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND COLLECTIVE IMPACT EVALUATION, THE GEORGIA HEALTH POLICY CENTER (GHPC) LOCATED AT 55 PARK PLACE NE, 8TH FLOOR, ATLANTA, GA 30303, WILL ACT AS THE BACKBONE ORGANIZATION FOR THIS COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT. IN CLOSE PARTNERSHIP WITH STATE AND LOCAL AGENCIES, SUCH AS THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENTS OF PUBLIC HEALTH (GDPH) AND EARLY CARE AND LEARNING (DECAL), WHOLESOME WAVE GEORGIA, GA CHAPTER-AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS/GA BREASTFEEDING COALITION, HEALTHMPOWERS, AND CHILDREN’S HEALTHCARE OF ATLANTA/STRONG4LIFE, WE SEEK TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES IN EACH OF THE 4 STRATEGY AREAS. EXAMPLES OF THESE OUTCOMES INCLUDE: NUTRITION OUTCOMES • INCREASED NUMBER OF YOUTH/CHILD-SERVING AND COMMUNITY-BASED OUT OF SCHOOL TIME SETTINGS THAT ADOPT NUTRITION GUIDELINES TO SUPPORT INCREASED ACCESS TO HEALTHIER FOODS • INCREASED UPTAKE AND EXPANSION OF GEORGIA FRESH FOR LESS VOUCHER REDEMPTION • INCREASED NUMBER OF HEALTH SYSTEMS AND HEALTH CLINICS THAT ADOPT PRODUCE PRESCRIPTION PROGRAMS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OUTCOMES • INCREASED POLICIES, PLANS, OR COMMUNITY DESIGN CHANGES THAT INCREASE ACCESS TO PA • BUILT ENVIRONMENT INTERVENTION APPROACHES ADOPTED THAT CONNECT ACTIVITY-FRIENDLY ROUTES TO EVERYDAY DESTINATIONS TO INCREASE PA • INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES ENROLLED IN ACTIVE PEOPLE, HEALTHY NATIONSM INITIATIVE BREASTFEEDING OUTCOMES • INCREASED ACCESS TO PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDE CONTINUITY OF CARE FOR BF FAMILIES • REGIONAL BF COALITIONS AND CADRE OF BF CHAMPIONS ESTABLISHED WHO COALESCE AROUND A COMMON AGENDA, STATE PLAN CREATION, AND COLLABORATE ON INTEGRATED AND REINFORCING ACTIVITIES ACROSS REGIONS • REPLICATE EXISTING PATHWAY 2 ACADEMIC PROGRAM FOR PRE-SERVICE HUMAN LACTATION PROFESSIONALS AT 1 HBCU AND 1 UNIVERSITY TO PREPARE IBCLCS EARLY CARE EDUCATION OUTCOMES • INCREASED STATE LEVEL ECE POLICIES AND ACTIVITIES THAT IMPROVE NUTRITION, PA, BR AND FARM TO ECE INCLUDING ESTABLISHED QRIS STANDARDS AND MEASURES FOR EACH STRATEGIES • GEORGIA FTECE PROVIDER NETWORK ESTABLISHED AS A HUB FOR CHILD CARE PROVIDERS TO ACCESS FTECE RELATED RESOURCES, TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES, AND TA SUPPORT • IMPROVED KNOWLEDGE AND ADOPTION OF FTECE STRATEGIES IN ECE SITES IN TARGET GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS & COMPLETION OF GFTECE STRATEGIC PLAN OBJECTIVES STATEWIDE BEYOND THE 4 STRATEGY AREAS OUTLINED, THIS PROPOSAL WILL ALSO SEEK TO IMPROVE THE CAPACITY AND ABILITY OF PARTNERS IN TARGET REGIONS OF GA IMPLICATED BY HEALTH INEQUITIES TO ADOPT PSE CHANGE THROUGH REGIONAL CAPACITY BUILDING GRANTS. A COLLECTIVE IMPACT EVALUATION FRAMEWORK WILL BE EMPLOYED TO UNDERSTAND CONTEXTS AND MECHANISMS THAT SUPPORT REGIONAL PSE AND BEHAVIOR CHANGE. QUALITY IMPROVEMENT WILL BE FACILITATED VIA A COMMUNITY-LED MONITORING LEARNING AND ADAPTATION (CLM) FRAMEWORK TO SUPPORT MODIFICATIONS TO PSE STRATEGIES AND ACTION PLANS TO ACHIEVE IDENTIFIED OUTCOMES.

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