Spelman Ln

AUC-GRANTED: ADVANCING TRANSFORMATION OF THE RESEARCH ENTERPRISE THROUGH SHARED RESOURCE SUPPORT MODEL FOR COLLECTIVE IMPACT AND SYNERGISTIC EFFECT. -TO ADVANCE AND TRANSFORM THE NATION'S RESEARCH ENTERPRISE, AUTHENTIC PARTNERSHIPS AND INCLUSIVE COLLABORATIONS ARE CRITICAL. THE LONG-STANDING AND LARGEST CONSORTIUM OF HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES (HBCUS) IN THE ATLANTA UNIVERSITY CENTER (AUC) WILL LEVERAGE ITS PARTNERSHIP TO CREATE A SHARED RESOURCE SUPPORT MODEL DESIGNED TO REDUCE SYSTEMIC BARRIERS TO COMPETITIVENESS AND STRENGTHEN THE RESEARCH ENTERPRISE WITHIN THE AUC AND ULTIMATELY, THE NATION. THE GOAL OF THE AUC-GRANTED PROJECT IS TO SYNERGISTICALLY EXPAND THE RESEARCH SUPPORT AND SERVICE CAPACITY WITHIN AND ACROSS FOUR AUC HBCUS (SPELMAN COLLEGE, MOREHOUSE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, MOREHOUSE COLLEGE, AND CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY), CREATING A RESEARCH ENTERPRISE HUB THAT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO SERVE AS A NATIONAL MODEL AND ROADMAP FOR EMERGING RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS AND OTHER HBCUS AS THEY SEEK TO EXPAND AND STRENGTHEN THEIR RESEARCH ENTERPRISES BY LEVERAGING EXISTING CAPABILITIES, CULTIVATING STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS, AND IMPLEMENTING EFFECTIVE PRACTICES. TO BROADEN PARTICIPATION IN AND STRENGTHEN THE NATION'S RESEARCH ENTERPRISE, INNOVATIVE STRATEGIES AND SOLUTIONS MUST BE EMPLOYED TO ADVANCE THE GEOGRAPHY OF INNOVATION, INCREASE ACCESS FOR HBCUS, AND ENHANCE THE RESEARCH SUPPORT INFRASTRUCTURE AT EMERGING RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS. THE AUC-GRANTED PROJECT LEVERAGES THE STRENGTHS, ASSETS, AND EXPERTISE OF THE AUC RESEARCH ECOSYSTEM WHILE FOCUSING ON ITS HUMAN CAPITAL (I.E., PEOPLE), PROCESSES/POLICIES/PROCEDURES/ PRACTICES, AND PLATFORMS FOR THE PURPOSE OF RAPIDLY AND DELIBERATELY MOVING TOWARD MORE COMPETITIVE PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT, MORE EFFICIENT RESEARCH ADMINISTRATION, AND MORE EFFECTIVE POST-AWARD MANAGEMENT. THE PROJECT IS DESIGNED TO: (1) AUGMENT THE KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND EXCHANGE OF RESEARCH LEADERSHIP IN THE AUC AND AT OTHER REGIONAL INSTITUTIONS; (2) ENHANCE RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT CAPACITY TO SUPPORT IDEATION AND COMPETITIVE PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT; (3) STRENGTHEN THE RESEARCH ADMINISTRATION INFRASTRUCTURE AT AUC INSTITUTIONS; AND (4) CREATE AND IMPLEMENT AN AUC-WIDE OFFICE FOR RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY COMMERCIALIZATION. THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES INCLUDE STRENGTHENING THE RESEARCH ENTERPRISE WITHIN THE AUC; GENERATING A NATIONAL MODEL FOR COLLABORATION BETWEEN EMERGING RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS TO ADVANCE THE NATION'S RESEARCH AGENDA; SHARING KNOWLEDGE, RESOURCES, AND EFFECTIVE PRACTICES; AND DIVERSIFYING THE NATION'S WORKFORCE OF STEM PROFESSIONALS AND LEADERS. 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.

HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES PROGRAM

HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES PROGRAM

HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES PROGRAM

GRANT PROGRAM

GRANT PROGRAM

GRANT PROGRAM

GRANT PROGRAM

AUC-GRANTED: A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH FOR TRANSFORMING THE RESEARCH ENTERPRISE THROUGH A SHARED SUPPORT MODEL FOR COLLECTIVE IMPACT AND SYNERGISTIC EFFECT -THE LONG-STANDING CONSORTIUM OF INSTITUTIONS IN THE ATLANTA UNIVERSITY CENTER (AUC) WILL LEVERAGE ITS PARTNERSHIP TO CREATE A SHARED RESOURCE SUPPORT MODEL DESIGNED TO STRENGTHEN THE RESEARCH ENTERPRISE WITHIN THE AUC AND ULTIMATELY, THE NATION. THE GOAL OF THE AUC-GRANTED PROJECT IS TO SYNERGISTICALLY EXPAND THE RESEARCH SUPPORT AND SERVICE CAPACITY WITHIN AND ACROSS THE FOUR AUC INSTITUTIONS (SPELMAN COLLEGE, MOREHOUSE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, MOREHOUSE COLLEGE, AND CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY), CREATING A RESEARCH ENTERPRISE HUB THAT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO SERVE AS A NATIONAL MODEL AND ROADMAP FOR EMERGING RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS AS THEY SEEK TO EXPAND AND STRENGTHEN THEIR RESEARCH ENTERPRISES BY LEVERAGING EXISTING CAPABILITIES, CULTIVATING STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS, AND IMPLEMENTING EFFECTIVE PRACTICES. TO STRENGTHEN THE NATION'S RESEARCH ENTERPRISE, INNOVATIVE STRATEGIES AND SOLUTIONS MUST BE EMPLOYED TO ADVANCE THE GEOGRAPHY OF INNOVATION AND ENHANCE THE RESEARCH SUPPORT INFRASTRUCTURE AT EMERGING RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS. THE AUC-GRANTED PROJECT LEVERAGES THE STRENGTHS, ASSETS, AND EXPERTISE OF THE AUC RESEARCH ECOSYSTEM WHILE FOCUSING ON ITS HUMAN CAPITAL (I.E., PEOPLE), PROCESSES, PRACTICES, AND PLATFORMS TO ADVANCE TOWARD MORE COMPETITIVE PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT, MORE EFFICIENT RESEARCH ADMINISTRATION, AND MORE EFFECTIVE POST-AWARD MANAGEMENT. THE PROJECT IS DESIGNED TO: (1) AUGMENT THE KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND EXCHANGE OF RESEARCH LEADERSHIP IN THE AUC AND AT OTHER REGIONAL INSTITUTIONS; (2) ENHANCE RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT CAPACITY TO SUPPORT IDEATION AND COMPETITIVE PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT; (3) STRENGTHEN THE RESEARCH ADMINISTRATION INFRASTRUCTURE AT AUC INSTITUTIONS; AND (4) CREATE AND IMPLEMENT AN AUC-WIDE OFFICE FOR RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY COMMERCIALIZATION. THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES INCLUDE STRENGTHENING THE RESEARCH ENTERPRISE WITHIN THE AUC; GENERATING A NATIONAL MODEL FOR COLLABORATION BETWEEN EMERGING RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS TO ADVANCE THE NATION'S RESEARCH AGENDA; SHARING KNOWLEDGE, RESOURCES, AND EFFECTIVE PRACTICES; AND EXPANDING THE NATION'S WORKFORCE OF STEM PROFESSIONALS AND LEADERS. 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.

EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH - INVESTIGATION OF AMOEBOZOA GENOME COMPLEXITY AND THE EVOLUTION OF AMOEBOID BODY PLAN -THE AMOEBOZOA INCLUDES A DIVERSE GROUP OF SINGLE CELL MICROSCOPIC EUKARYOTES PRIMARILY CHARACTERIZED BY THEIR MOVEMENT AND FEEDING MECHANISM THROUGH FINGER-LIKE CYTOPLASMIC PROJECTIONS CALLED PSEUDOPODIA (FALSE-FEET). THIS GROUP ENCOMPASSES A WIDE ARRAY OF MICROORGANISMS EXHIBITING DIVERSE MORPHOLOGY AND GENOMIC COMPLEXITY, INHABITING VARIOUS ENVIRONMENTS SUCH AS MARINE, FRESHWATER, AND SOIL. SEVERAL AMOEBOZOA ARE ALSO SIGNIFICANT HUMAN PARASITES, CONTRIBUTING TO HEALTH PROBLEMS. DESPITE THEIR IMPORTANCE, LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THEIR GENOMIC AND CELLULAR DIVERSITY. THIS PROJECT AIMS TO INVESTIGATE THE GENOME COMPLEXITY AND THE EVOLUTION OF THEIR UNIQUE AMOEBOID (CELLULAR) BODY PLAN THAT UNDERPINS THEIR REMARKABLE DIVERSITY AND ECOLOGICAL SUCCESS. RESULTS FROM THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE INSIGHTS INTO THE EVOLUTION OF GENOME STRUCTURE AND CELLULAR FORM IN OTHER SIMILAR EUKARYOTES. THROUGH INTERDISCIPLINARY TRAINING INITIATIVES, PARTICULARLY TARGETING AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS, THE PROJECT AIMS TO FOSTER INTEREST IN EVOLUTIONARY RESEARCH AND PROVIDE VALUABLE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES. COLLABORATIONS WITH OTHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS WILL FACILITATE STUDENT EXPOSURE TO HIGH-QUALITY RESEARCH, PAVING THE WAY FOR FUTURE CAREERS IN BIOINFORMATICS AND DATA SCIENCE. MOREOVER, EFFORTS TO ENHANCE DATA SCIENCE LITERACY THROUGH BOOT CAMPS AND CURRICULUM INTEGRATION WILL BENEFIT BOTH STUDENTS AND FACULTY, FOSTERING BROADER ENGAGEMENT WITH GENOMICS RESEARCH. OUTREACH EFFORTS INCLUDE ENHANCING SCIENCE EDUCATION AT K-12 LEVELS AND SPARKING CURIOSITY IN STEM THROUGH THE USE OF THE DATA AND SAMPLES COLLECTED DURING THE COURSE OF THIS PROJECT. THE SUPERGROUP AMOEBOZOA, CHARACTERIZED BY ITS DIVERSE MORPHOLOGY, BEHAVIOR, ECOLOGY, AND GENOMIC COMPLEXITY, HOLDS AN IMPORTANT EVOLUTIONARY POSITION AS THE CLOSEST RELATIVE OF ANIMALS AND FUNGI. THIS RESEARCH AIMS TO INVESTIGATE TWO MAJOR EVOLUTIONARY EVENTS WITHIN AMOEBOZOA USING COMPARATIVE GENOMICS AND CYTOLOGY: GENOME COMPLEXITY AND THE EVOLUTION OF THE AMOEBOID BODY PLAN. IT IS HYPOTHESIZED THAT GENETIC INNOVATIONS ? INCLUDING NOVEL GENES - HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE EXTREME MORPHOLOGICAL AND BEHAVIORAL DIVERSITY OBSERVED WITHIN THIS GROUP. USING A PHYLOGENETIC FRAMEWORK AND GENOME SEQUENCES ? SOME OF WHICH WILL BE NEWLY SEQUENCED AS PART OF THIS RESEARCH - THIS PROJECT WILL INVESTIGATE HOW SEVERAL GENOMIC FEATURES, SUCH AS GENOME SIZE, NUCLEOTIDE COMPOSITION, GENE EXPRESSION, REPETITIVE ELEMENTS, AND THE EVOLUTION OF NEW GENES, HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO AMOEBOID STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION. THE GENOMICS WILL BE ANALYZED IN CONJUNCTION WITH CYTOLOGICAL DATA, WHICH WILL PROVIDE MORPHOLOGICAL AND CELLULAR INSIGHTS INTO THE EVOLUTION OF AMOEBOID STRUCTURES ACROSS UNICELLULAR EUKARYOTES. BY INTEGRATING CYTOLOGY AND GENOMICS, THIS PROJECT WILL TEST HYPOTHESES REGARDING THE EVOLUTIONARY DYNAMICS OF AMOEBOID STRUCTURES, INCLUDING THE PRESENCE OF A SHARED GENETIC TOOLKIT ACROSS EUKARYOTES AND THE ANCESTRAL ORIGINS OF AMOEBOID LIFE FORMS. 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.

2025-2030 FUTURE ACT COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT PLAN (CDP)

HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES PROGRAM (FUTURE ACT)

COGNITION AND ACHIEVEMENT - PROJECT SUMMARY THE RESEARCH FOCUSES ON EXAMINING CHILDREN ACROSS A BROAD RANGE OF SOCIOECONOMIC STATUSES (SES), AVOIDING THE INHERENT CONFOUND IN EXAMINATION OF ONLY LOW-INCOME CHILDREN. IN THE PROPOSED RESEARCH, COGNITIVE PROCESSES (FLUID REASONING, EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING, AND CRYSTALLIZED KNOWLEDGE) ARE EXAMINED TO ELUCIDATE DETERMINANTS OF READING AND MATH ACHIEVEMENT AMONG AN ECONOMICALLY DIVERSE SAMPLE OF CHILDREN. IN PARTICULAR, THE PROJECT WILL ALSO EXAMINE THE IMPACT OF RESPIRATORY DISEASES ON EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT. DATA ARE LIMITED THAT ADDRESSES THE IMPACT OF MISSING SCHOOL DUE TO RESPIRATORY ILLNESSES ON CHILD COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING OR ACHIEVEMENT. THE RESEARCH INCLUDES A LONGITUDINAL FOLLOW-UP OF AN ECONOMICALLY DIVERSE SAMPLE OF 198 CHILDREN ORIGINALLY ASSESSED BEGINNING IN 2015 IN THEIR PRESCHOOL YEARS AND WHO WERE FOLLOWED UP IN KINDERGARTEN, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND MIDDLE SCHOOL. THE PROJECT ADDS A NEW COHORT OF CHILDREN WHO WILL BE ASSESSED AT THREE TIME POINTS IN THEIR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL YEARS. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH WILL ENHANCE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE CHILD X ENVIRONMENT PROCESSES THAT INFLUENCE READING AND MATH ACHIEVEMENT IN CHILDREN.

CAMPUS BASED-FWS

CAMPUS BASED-FWS

AN INTEGRATED CURRICULUM THAT SUPPORTS GENOMIC DATA EDUCATION - THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO BUILD A GENOMIC DATA SCIENCE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM IN THE BIOLOGY DEPARTMENT AT SPELMAN COLLEGE. THIS WILL BE ACHIEVED THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF GENOMIC DATA SCIENCE MODULES IN SEVERAL COURSES. THESE INCLUDE A SOPHOMORE LEVEL INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY COURSE TAKEN BY ALL MAJORS, TWO INTERMEDIATE LEVEL COURSES AND AN UPPER-LEVEL RESEARCH-BASED COURSE. THESE CURRICULAR ENHANCEMENTS WILL EXPOSE STUDENTS TO CONCEPTS AND SKILLS IN GENOMIC DATA SCIENCE, WHILE LEVERAGING PUBLICLY AVAILABLE COMPUTATIONAL RESOURCES AND DATABASES. THE ENHANCED CURRICULUM WILL EXPOSE STUDENTS TO THE USE OF GENOMIC DATA SCIENCE CONCEPTS, TOOLS AND RESOURCES IN THE CONTEXT OF SEVERAL BIOMEDICAL QUESTIONS RANGING FROM CANCER TO MICROBIOMES. IN ADDITION, THE RESEARCH-BASED COURSE WILL PROVIDE HANDS-ON EXPERIENCES AND SERVE AS A SPACE FOR ENGAGING WITH THE HUB INSTITUTION AND THE WIDER GENOMIC DATA SCIENCE COMMUNITY. ULTIMATELY, THE GOAL OF THE CURRICULAR ENHANCEMENT IS TO CREATE A PATH FOR SPELMAN STUDENTS TO ENTER GRADUATE STUDIES AND CAREERS IN GENOMIC DATA SCIENCE. WHILE SPELMAN COLLEGE HAS A STRONG TRACK RECORD IN TRAINING UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN STEM FIELDS, THE INTERDISCIPLINARY NATURE OF GENOMIC DATA SCIENCE AND OUR NON-RESEARCH INTENSIVE SETTING PRESENT CHALLENGES THAT REQUIRE A DELIBERATE AND CONCERTED EFFORT. TO THIS END, THE PROJECT BRINGS TOGETHER FIVE FACULTY MEMBERS AND A TECHNICIAN/TEACHING ASSISTANT WHO WILL FORM A WORKING GROUP OR COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE, LEVERAGING EACH OTHER'S STRENGTH AND EXPERTISE IN SPECIFIC AREAS.

EARLY EDUCATION AND LATER ACHIEVEMENT: THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT OF AFRICAN AMERICAN CHILDREN - PROJECT SUMMARY THE RESEARCH FOCUSES ON EXAMINING AFRICAN AMERICAN CHILDREN ACROSS A BROAD RANGE OF SOCIOECONOMIC STATUSES (SES), AVOIDING THE INHERENT CONFOUND IN EXAMINATION OF ONLY LOW-INCOME AFRICAN AMERICAN CHILDREN. IN THE PROPOSED RESEARCH, COGNITIVE PROCESSES (FLUID REASONING, EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING, AND CRYSTALLIZED KNOWLEDGE) ARE EXAMINED WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF CLASSROOM QUALITY (EMOTIONAL SUPPORT, CLASSROOM ORGANIZATION, AND INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT), STUDENT-TEACHER RELATIONSHIPS (WARMTH AND CONFLICT), AND HOME ENVIRONMENTAL STIMULATION TO ELUCIDATE DETERMINANTS OF READING AND MATH ACHIEVEMENT AMONG AN ECONOMICALLY DIVERSE SAMPLE OF AFRICAN AMERICAN CHILDREN. A PRIMARY AIM OF THE RESEARCH IS ALSO TO EXAMINE THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT OF AFRICAN AMERICAN CHILDREN. THE RESEARCH IS A NATURAL EXPERIMENT INVOLVING LONGITUDINAL FOLLOW-UP OF AN ECONOMICALLY DIVERSE SAMPLE OF 198 AFRICAN AMERICAN CHILDREN ORIGINALLY ASSESSED IN THEIR PRESCHOOL, KINDERGARTEN, AND EARLY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL YEARS AND A NEW COHORT OF CHILDREN WHO EXPERIENCED A DISRUPTION IN THEIR PRESCHOOL YEAR DUE TO COVID-19. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH WILL HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON IMPROVING EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES IN AFRICAN AMERICAN CHILDREN BY ENHANCING OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE CHILD X ENVIRONMENT PROCESSES THAT INFLUENCE READING AND MATH ACHIEVEMENT IN THIS UNDERSERVED POPULATION. RESULTS OF THE RESEARCH CAN BE USED IN DEVELOPING TREATMENTS, INTERVENTIONS, OR POLICIES CONCERNING EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION FOR THIS UNDERSTUDIED POPULATION, THEREBY CONTRIBUTING TO ENHANCING THE HEALTH AND OUTCOMES OF CHILDREN IN THIS NATION.

RUI: CMI: DEVELOPMENT OF THREE DIMENSIONAL ROVIBRATIONAL SPECTROSCOPY -WITH SUPPORT FROM THE CHEMICAL MEASUREMENT AND IMAGING PROGRAM IN THE DIVISION OF CHEMISTRY, PROFESSOR CHEN'S GROUP AT SPELMAN COLLEGE WILL BUILD AND TEST A NEW 3D INFRARED SPECTROMETER THAT CAN BE USED TO STUDY THE DETAILED STRUCTURE, BEHAVIOR, TEMPERATURE, AND ENERGY OF GASEOUS MOLECULES. THIS KNOWLEDGE IS NEEDED TO DEVELOP SOLUTIONS FOR PROBLEMS SUCH AS CLIMATE CHANGE. FOR EXAMPLE, WORLDWIDE INDUSTRIAL GAS PHASE CHEMICAL REACTIONS CONSUME LARGE AMOUNTS OF ENERGY AND EMIT HIGH LEVELS OF CARBON DIOXIDE EACH YEAR. FOR STUDYING AND OPTIMIZING ALTERNATIVE PROCESSES, NEW MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUES ARE NEEDED BECAUSE EXISTING GAS PHASE INFRARED TECHNIQUES ARE OVERWHELMED BY SPECTRAL CONGESTION AT MODERATE AND ELEVATED TEMPERATURES. THIS NEW 3D INFRARED SPECTROMETER SHOULD BE ABLE TO HANDLE THIS CONGESTION AND COMPLEXITY, LEADING TO STRATEGIES FOR CONSUMING LESS ENERGY AND REDUCING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS. THIS WORK WILL BE CARRIED OUT WITH UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AT SPELMAN COLLEGE, AN HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE FOR WOMEN. IN THIS PROJECT, 3D ROVIBRATIONAL SPECTROSCOPY WILL BE DEVELOPED AND EXPLORED AS A NEW WAY TO OVERCOME CONGESTION OBSERVED IN 1D AND 2D INFRARED SPECTRA OF GAS PHASE MOLECULES. THE NEW 3D TECHNIQUE SHOULD PROVIDE UNIQUE CAPABILITIES, SUCH AS THE ABILITY TO RESOLVE AND AUTOMATICALLY ORGANIZE LARGE NUMBERS OF ROVIBRATIONAL PEAKS BY QUANTUM NUMBER, REGARDLESS OF TEMPERATURE. SUCH 3D ROVIBRATIONAL SPECTROSCOPY COULD BE ALSO USED TO INTERPRET COUNTLESS NEAR INFRARED SPECTRA THAT HAVE BEEN RECORDED BY ASTRONOMICAL TELESCOPES BUT THAT HAVE BEEN FRUSTRATINGLY DIFFICULT TO ANALYZE. IN ADDITION TO THE PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS MENTIONED ABOVE, THIS NEW TECHNIQUE SHOULD ALSO ADVANCE FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE BY PROVIDING NEW INFORMATION ON VIBRATIONAL MODE COUPLING AND LARGE AMPLITUDE MOTIONS. 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.

CAMPUS BASED-FSEOG

CAMPUS BASED-FSEOG

ESTROGEN REGULATION OF AGE AND PTSD-ASSOCIATED CHANGES IN MACROPHAGE-INDUCED NEUROINFLAMMATION DURING HIV INFECTION. - 30-50% OF PERSONS LIVING WITH HIV STILL SUFFER FROM NEUROLOGICAL CO-MORBIDITIES, INCLUDING HIV-ASSOCIATED NEUROCOGNITIVE DISORDERS (HAND) AND POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD), DESPITE THE SUCCESS OF COMBINED ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY (CART). PERSISTENT MACROPHAGE AND MICROGLIA DRIVEN NEUROINFLAMMATION IS SEEN AS A COMMON UNDERLYING FACTOR IN HAND AND PTSD DISEASE PROGRESSION. THE LONG-TERM OBJECTIVE OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO UNDERSTAND THE UNDERLING MECHANISMS THAT INFLUENCE NEUROINFLAMMATORY PROCESSES IN NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS TO TARGET MORE SPECIFIC ENDOGENOUS SIGNALING MECHANISMS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF NOVEL THERAPEUTIC APPROACHES. IN THIS STUDY WE WILL EXPLORE ESTROGEN SIGNALING IN MACROPHAGES AND MICROGLIA AS A POSSIBLE THERAPEUTIC TARGET. 17Β- ESTRADIOL, THE MOST ACTIVE FORM OF ESTROGEN, IS REDUCED IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN. STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT 17Β- ESTRADIOL IS NEUROPROTECTIVE AND ITS REDUCED EXPRESSION MAY CORRELATE WITH WORSE HIV AND PTSD DISEASE PROGRESSION. HOWEVER, HOW CHANGES IN ESTROGEN CONCENTRATIONS AND ITS RECEPTORS MAY MODULATE HIV-INDUCED NEUROCOGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT IN THE POST-MENOPAUSAL WOMEN LIVING WITH PTSD IS UNKNOWN. THEREFORE, WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT MACROPHAGE AND MICROGLIA INDUCED NEUROINFLAMMATION WILL BE SUPPRESSED BY ESTROGEN, IN AN GPER DEPENDENT MANNER, IN THE AGING FEMALE COMPARED TO MALES AND PRE-MENOPAUSAL FEMALES LIVING WITH POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER AND HIV. TO ADDRESS THIS HYPOTHESIS, WE WILL UTILIZE 2 IN VITRO HIV NEUROINFLAMMATORY MODELS: 1. A CO-CULTURE SYSTEM COMPOSED OF RAT CORTICAL NEURONS AND HUMAN MONOCYTES DERIVED MACROPHAGES ISOLATED FROM PTSD DONORS AND 2. A CO-CULTURE SYSTEM OF IMICROGLIA AND INEURONS DERIVED FROM HUMAN PLURIPOTENT STEM CELLS FROM HEALTHY DONORS. IMICROGLIA AND MACROPHAGES FROM PRE AND POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN AND AGED MATCHED MEN WILL BE PRETREATED WITH VARIOUS CONCENTRATIONS OF ESTROGEN PRIOR TO HIVADA EXPOSURE TO EXPLORE THE FOLLOWING SPECIFIC AIMS: 1) EVALUATE ESTROGEN’S ABILITY TO SUPPRESS HIV- INDUCED NEUROINFLAMMATION IN PTSD-HMDM AND MICROGLIA. 2) EVALUATE THE ROLE OF ESTROGEN RECEPTORS IN HIV AND PTSD-INDUCED NEUROINFLAMMATION. IN THIS PROPOSED AWARD, WE EXPECT HMDMS FROM POST-MENOPAUSAL FEMALE PTSD DONORS AND IMICROGLIA WILL HAVE INCREASED HIV-INDUCED NEUROINFLAMMATION, WHICH CAN BE SUPPRESSED BY GPER ACTIVATION. THE PI HAS DEVELOPED A STRONG TRAINING PLAN THAT WILL EXPAND HER EXPERTISE IN THE NEUROAIDS AND PTSD FIELD, INCREASE HER SKILLSET IN THE GENERATION OF IPSC, FLOW CYTOMETRY, MASS CYTOMETRY, BIOSTATISTICAL ANALYSIS AND GENERATE DATA FOR FUTURE R AWARDS. THIS TRAINING WILL BE GUIDED BY THE STRONG MENTORING COMMITTEE OF INVESTIGATORS FROM SPELMAN COLLEGE AND NEIGHBORING RESEARCH 1 INSTITUTIONS. WITH SUCCESS OF THIS PROJECT, WE WILL ELUCIDATE THE ROLE OF ESTROGEN SIGNALING AS A POTENTIAL ENDOGENOUS TARGETED THERAPEUTIC AVENUE FOR PERSONS LIVING WITH HAND, PTSD AND OTHER NEUROINFLAMMATORY DISORDERS.

ESTROGEN REGULATION OF AGE AND PTSD-ASSOCIATED CHANGES IN MACROPHAGE-INDUCED NEUROINFLAMMATION DURING HIV INFECTION. - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT 30-50% OF PERSONS LIVING WITH HIV STILL SUFFER FROM NEUROLOGICAL CO-MORBIDITIES, INCLUDING HIV-ASSOCIATED NEUROCOGNITIVE DISORDERS (HAND) AND POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD), DESPITE THE SUCCESS OF COMBINED ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY (CART). PERSISTENT MACROPHAGE AND MICROGLIA DRIVEN NEUROINFLAMMATION IS SEEN AS A COMMON UNDERLYING FACTOR IN HAND AND PTSD DISEASE PROGRESSION. THE LONG-TERM OBJECTIVE OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO UNDERSTAND THE UNDERLING MECHANISMS THAT INFLUENCE NEUROINFLAMMATORY PROCESSES IN NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS TO TARGET MORE SPECIFIC ENDOGENOUS SIGNALING MECHANISMS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF NOVEL THERAPEUTIC APPROACHES. IN THIS STUDY WE WILL EXPLORE ESTROGEN SIGNALING IN MACROPHAGES AND MICROGLIA AS A POSSIBLE THERAPEUTIC TARGET. 17Β- ESTRADIOL, THE MOST ACTIVE FORM OF ESTROGEN, IS REDUCED IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN. STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT 17Β- ESTRADIOL IS NEUROPROTECTIVE AND ITS REDUCED EXPRESSION MAY CORRELATE WITH WORSE HIV AND PTSD DISEASE PROGRESSION. HOWEVER, HOW CHANGES IN ESTROGEN CONCENTRATIONS AND ITS RECEPTORS MAY MODULATE HIV-INDUCED NEUROCOGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT IN THE POST-MENOPAUSAL WOMEN LIVING WITH PTSD IS UNKNOWN. THEREFORE, WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT MACROPHAGE AND MICROGLIA INDUCED NEUROINFLAMMATION WILL BE SUPPRESSED BY ESTROGEN, IN AN GPER DEPENDENT MANNER, IN THE AGING FEMALE COMPARED TO MALES AND PRE-MENOPAUSAL FEMALES LIVING WITH POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER AND HIV. TO ADDRESS THIS HYPOTHESIS, WE WILL UTILIZE 2 IN VITRO HIV NEUROINFLAMMATORY MODELS: 1. A CO-CULTURE SYSTEM COMPOSED OF RAT CORTICAL NEURONS AND HUMAN MONOCYTES DERIVED MACROPHAGES ISOLATED FROM PTSD DONORS AND 2. A CO-CULTURE SYSTEM OF IMICROGLIA AND INEURONS DERIVED FROM HUMAN PLURIPOTENT STEM CELLS FROM HEALTHY DONORS. IMICROGLIA AND MACROPHAGES FROM PRE AND POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN AND AGED MATCHED MEN WILL BE PRETREATED WITH VARIOUS CONCENTRATIONS OF ESTROGEN PRIOR TO HIVADA EXPOSURE TO EXPLORE THE FOLLOWING SPECIFIC AIMS: 1) EVALUATE ESTROGEN’S ABILITY TO SUPPRESS HIV- INDUCED NEUROINFLAMMATION IN PTSD-HMDM AND MICROGLIA. 2) EVALUATE THE ROLE OF ESTROGEN RECEPTORS IN HIV AND PTSD-INDUCED NEUROINFLAMMATION. IN THIS PROPOSED AWARD, WE EXPECT HMDMS FROM POST-MENOPAUSAL FEMALE PTSD DONORS AND IMICROGLIA WILL HAVE INCREASED HIV-INDUCED NEUROINFLAMMATION, WHICH CAN BE SUPPRESSED BY GPER ACTIVATION. THE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR’S CAREER GOALS ARE TO LEAD AN INDEPENDENT TRANSLATION RESEARCH PROGRAM WHILE INCREASING DIVERSITY IN THE SCIENCES AT A HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY (HBCU). TO ACCOMPLISH THIS, THE PI HAS DEVELOPED A STRONG TRAINING PLAN THAT WILL EXPAND HER EXPERTISE IN THE NEUROAIDS AND PTSD FIELD, INCREASE HER SKILLSET IN THE GENERATION OF IPSC, FLOW CYTOMETRY, MASS CYTOMETRY, BIOSTATISTICAL ANALYSIS AND GENERATE DATA FOR FUTURE R AWARDS. THIS TRAINING WILL BE GUIDED BY THE STRONG MENTORING COMMITTEE OF INVESTIGATORS FROM SPELMAN COLLEGE AND NEIGHBORING RESEARCH 1 INSTITUTIONS. WITH SUCCESS OF THIS PROJECT, WE WILL ELUCIDATE THE ROLE OF ESTROGEN SIGNALING AS A POTENTIAL ENDOGENOUS TARGETED THERAPEUTIC AVENUE FOR PERSONS LIVING WITH HAND, PTSD AND OTHER NEUROINFLAMMATORY DISORDERS.

RUI: CMI: DEVELOPMENT OF THREE DIMENSIONAL ROVIBRATIONAL SPECTROSCOPY -WITH SUPPORT FROM THE CHEMICAL MEASUREMENT AND IMAGING PROGRAM IN THE DIVISION OF CHEMISTRY, PROFESSOR CHEN'S GROUP AT SPELMAN COLLEGE WILL BUILD AND TEST A NEW 3D INFRARED SPECTROMETER THAT CAN BE USED TO STUDY THE DETAILED STRUCTURE, BEHAVIOR, TEMPERATURE, AND ENERGY OF GASEOUS MOLECULES. THIS KNOWLEDGE IS NEEDED TO DEVELOP SOLUTIONS FOR PROBLEMS SUCH AS CLIMATE CHANGE. FOR EXAMPLE, WORLDWIDE INDUSTRIAL GAS PHASE CHEMICAL REACTIONS CONSUME LARGE AMOUNTS OF ENERGY AND EMIT HIGH LEVELS OF CARBON DIOXIDE EACH YEAR. FOR STUDYING AND OPTIMIZING ALTERNATIVE PROCESSES, NEW MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUES ARE NEEDED BECAUSE EXISTING GAS PHASE INFRARED TECHNIQUES ARE OVERWHELMED BY SPECTRAL CONGESTION AT MODERATE AND ELEVATED TEMPERATURES. THIS NEW 3D INFRARED SPECTROMETER SHOULD BE ABLE TO HANDLE THIS CONGESTION AND COMPLEXITY, LEADING TO STRATEGIES FOR CONSUMING LESS ENERGY AND REDUCING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS. THIS WORK WILL BE CARRIED OUT WITH UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AT SPELMAN COLLEGE, AN HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE FOR WOMEN. IN THIS PROJECT, 3D ROVIBRATIONAL SPECTROSCOPY WILL BE DEVELOPED AND EXPLORED AS A NEW WAY TO OVERCOME CONGESTION OBSERVED IN 1D AND 2D INFRARED SPECTRA OF GAS PHASE MOLECULES. THE NEW 3D TECHNIQUE SHOULD PROVIDE UNIQUE CAPABILITIES, SUCH AS THE ABILITY TO RESOLVE AND AUTOMATICALLY ORGANIZE LARGE NUMBERS OF ROVIBRATIONAL PEAKS BY QUANTUM NUMBER, REGARDLESS OF TEMPERATURE. SUCH 3D ROVIBRATIONAL SPECTROSCOPY COULD BE ALSO USED TO INTERPRET COUNTLESS NEAR INFRARED SPECTRA THAT HAVE BEEN RECORDED BY ASTRONOMICAL TELESCOPES BUT THAT HAVE BEEN FRUSTRATINGLY DIFFICULT TO ANALYZE. IN ADDITION TO THE PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS MENTIONED ABOVE, THIS NEW TECHNIQUE SHOULD ALSO ADVANCE FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE BY PROVIDING NEW INFORMATION ON VIBRATIONAL MODE COUPLING AND LARGE AMPLITUDE MOTIONS. 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.

COLLABORATIVE PROPOSAL: SATC: FRONTIERS: CENTER FOR DISTRIBUTED CONFIDENTIAL COMPUTING (CDCC) -ADVANCES IN AI AND BIG DATA ANALYTICS RELY ON DATA SHARING, WHICH CAN BE IMPEDED BY PRIVACY CONCERNS. MOST CHALLENGING IN PRIVACY PROTECTION IS PROTECTION OF DATA-IN-USE, SINCE EVEN ENCRYPTED DATA NEEDS TO BE DECRYPTED BEFORE IT CAN BE UTILIZED, THEREBY EXPOSING DATA CONTENT TO UNAUTHORIZED PARTIES. A PRACTICAL AND SCALABLE SOLUTION TO THE CHALLENGE WILL TRANSFORM COMPUTING, ENABLING UNPRECEDENTED CAPABILITIES SUCH AS CONFIDENTIAL OUTSOURCING, TRUSTED COMPUTING SERVICES, AND CONFIDENTIAL OR PRIVACY-PRESERVING COLLABORATION. IN QUEST OF SUCH A HOLY GRAIL OF DATA PROTECTION, THIS FRONTIER PROJECT ESTABLISHES MULTI-INSTITUTION AND MULTI-DISCIPLINARY CENTER FOR DISTRIBUTED CONFIDENTIAL COMPUTING (CDCC) TO CREATE A RESEARCH, EDUCATION, KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT THAT ENABLES SCALABLE, PRACTICAL, VERIFIABLE AND USABLE DATA-IN-USE PROTECTION BASED UPON TRUSTED EXECUTION ENVIRONMENTS (TEE) ON CLOUD AND EDGE SYSTEMS. CDCC FOCUSES ON FOUR BUILDING BLOCK THRUSTS FUNDAMENTAL TO DISTRIBUTED CONFIDENTIAL COMPUTING (DCC), REGARDLESS OF SPECIFIC TEE HARDWARE, INCLUDING ASSURANCE OF TEE CODE, ASSURANCE OF TEE NODES, ASSURANCE OF A TEE WORKFLOW AND ASSURANCE FOR THE STAKEHOLDER. THE FIRST THRUST LEADS TO AN OPEN ECOSYSTEM FOR TEE CODE CERTIFICATION, NOT RELYING ON ANY TRUSTED PARTY BUT ON A TRUSTWORTHY APPLICATION STORE WHOSE CERTIFICATION OPERATIONS ARE PUBLIC, ACCOUNTABLE AND VERIFIABLE. THE SECOND THRUST AIMS TO DEVELOP NOVEL DYNAMIC DATA-USE POLICY MODELS AND ENFORCEMENT MECHANISMS FOR SCALABLE TRUST MANAGEMENT AND DATA CONTROL ON THE TEE NODES RUNNING CERTIFIED CODE. THE THIRD THRUST FOCUSES ON ENSURING PROTECTION OF THE COMPUTATIONAL WORKFLOW BUILT ON TEE NODES AND THE LAST THRUST STUDIES THE STAKEHOLDER'S PREFERENCE AND EXPECTATIONS TO GUIDE THE DESIGN OF DCC TECHNOLOGIES AND ENSURE THEIR USABILITY. ON TOP OF THESE BUILDING BLOCKS, THE CENTER EXPLORES VARIOUS TRANSFORMATIVE APPLICATIONS (E.G., CONFIDENTIAL DISTRIBUTED AI SUPPORTS FOR HEALTHCARE) TO BE ENABLED. CDCC ALSO HAS A NUMBER OF EFFORTS FOR OUTREACH (DEVELOPMENT OF A MASSIVE OPEN ONLINE COURSE, INDUSTRY COLLABORATION, ETC.) AND FOR PARTICIPATION BY ALL STUDENTS. 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.

COLLABORATIVE PROPOSAL: SATC: FRONTIERS: CENTER FOR DISTRIBUTED CONFIDENTIAL COMPUTING (CDCC) -ADVANCES IN AI AND BIG DATA ANALYTICS RELY ON DATA SHARING, WHICH CAN BE IMPEDED BY PRIVACY CONCERNS. MOST CHALLENGING IN PRIVACY PROTECTION IS PROTECTION OF DATA-IN-USE, SINCE EVEN ENCRYPTED DATA NEEDS TO BE DECRYPTED BEFORE IT CAN BE UTILIZED, THEREBY EXPOSING DATA CONTENT TO UNAUTHORIZED PARTIES. A PRACTICAL AND SCALABLE SOLUTION TO THE CHALLENGE WILL TRANSFORM COMPUTING, ENABLING UNPRECEDENTED CAPABILITIES SUCH AS CONFIDENTIAL OUTSOURCING, TRUSTED COMPUTING SERVICES, AND CONFIDENTIAL OR PRIVACY-PRESERVING COLLABORATION. IN QUEST OF SUCH A HOLY GRAIL OF DATA PROTECTION, THIS FRONTIER PROJECT ESTABLISHES MULTI-INSTITUTION AND MULTI-DISCIPLINARY CENTER FOR DISTRIBUTED CONFIDENTIAL COMPUTING (CDCC) TO CREATE A RESEARCH, EDUCATION, KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT THAT ENABLES SCALABLE, PRACTICAL, VERIFIABLE AND USABLE DATA-IN-USE PROTECTION BASED UPON TRUSTED EXECUTION ENVIRONMENTS (TEE) ON CLOUD AND EDGE SYSTEMS. CDCC FOCUSES ON FOUR BUILDING BLOCK THRUSTS FUNDAMENTAL TO DISTRIBUTED CONFIDENTIAL COMPUTING (DCC), REGARDLESS OF SPECIFIC TEE HARDWARE, INCLUDING ASSURANCE OF TEE CODE, ASSURANCE OF TEE NODES, ASSURANCE OF A TEE WORKFLOW AND ASSURANCE FOR THE STAKEHOLDER. THE FIRST THRUST LEADS TO AN OPEN ECOSYSTEM FOR TEE CODE CERTIFICATION, NOT RELYING ON ANY TRUSTED PARTY BUT ON A TRUSTWORTHY APPLICATION STORE WHOSE CERTIFICATION OPERATIONS ARE PUBLIC, ACCOUNTABLE AND VERIFIABLE. THE SECOND THRUST AIMS TO DEVELOP NOVEL DYNAMIC DATA-USE POLICY MODELS AND ENFORCEMENT MECHANISMS FOR SCALABLE TRUST MANAGEMENT AND DATA CONTROL ON THE TEE NODES RUNNING CERTIFIED CODE. THE THIRD THRUST FOCUSES ON ENSURING PROTECTION OF THE COMPUTATIONAL WORKFLOW BUILT ON TEE NODES AND THE LAST THRUST STUDIES THE STAKEHOLDER'S PREFERENCE AND EXPECTATIONS TO GUIDE THE DESIGN OF DCC TECHNOLOGIES AND ENSURE THEIR USABILITY. ON TOP OF THESE BUILDING BLOCKS, THE CENTER EXPLORES VARIOUS TRANSFORMATIVE APPLICATIONS (E.G., CONFIDENTIAL DISTRIBUTED AI SUPPORTS FOR HEALTHCARE) TO BE ENABLED. CDCC ALSO HAS A NUMBER OF EFFORTS FOR OUTREACH (DEVELOPMENT OF A MASSIVE OPEN ONLINE COURSE, INDUSTRY COLLABORATION, ETC.) AND FOR BROADENING PARTICIPATION (SECURITY AND PRIVACY LAB FOR ATTRACTING MINORITY STUDENTS, JOINT SUMMER SCHOOLS AND OTHERS). 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.

AN INTEGRATED CURRICULUM THAT SUPPORTS GENOMIC DATA EDUCATION - THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO BUILD A GENOMIC DATA SCIENCE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM IN THE BIOLOGY DEPARTMENT AT SPELMAN COLLEGE. THIS WILL BE ACHIEVED THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF GENOMIC DATA SCIENCE MODULES IN SEVERAL COURSES. THESE INCLUDE A SOPHOMORE LEVEL INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY COURSE TAKEN BY ALL MAJORS, TWO INTERMEDIATE LEVEL COURSES AND AN UPPER-LEVEL RESEARCH-BASED COURSE. THESE CURRICULAR ENHANCEMENTS WILL EXPOSE STUDENTS TO CONCEPTS AND SKILLS IN GENOMIC DATA SCIENCE, WHILE LEVERAGING PUBLICLY AVAILABLE COMPUTATIONAL RESOURCES AND DATABASES. THE ENHANCED CURRICULUM WILL EXPOSE STUDENTS TO THE USE OF GENOMIC DATA SCIENCE CONCEPTS, TOOLS AND RESOURCES IN THE CONTEXT OF SEVERAL BIOMEDICAL QUESTIONS RANGING FROM CANCER TO MICROBIOMES. IN ADDITION, THE RESEARCH-BASED COURSE WILL PROVIDE HANDS-ON EXPERIENCES AND SERVE AS A SPACE FOR ENGAGING WITH THE HUB INSTITUTION AND THE WIDER GENOMIC DATA SCIENCE COMMUNITY. ULTIMATELY, THE GOAL OF THE CURRICULAR ENHANCEMENT IS TO CREATE A PATH FOR SPELMAN STUDENTS TO ENTER GRADUATE STUDIES AND CAREERS IN GENOMIC DATA SCIENCE. WHILE SPELMAN COLLEGE HAS A STRONG TRACK RECORD IN TRAINING UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN STEM FIELDS, THE INTERDISCIPLINARY NATURE OF GENOMIC DATA SCIENCE AND OUR NON-RESEARCH INTENSIVE SETTING PRESENT CHALLENGES THAT REQUIRE A DELIBERATE AND CONCERTED EFFORT. TO THIS END, THE PROJECT BRINGS TOGETHER FIVE FACULTY MEMBERS AND A TECHNICIAN/TEACHING ASSISTANT WHO WILL FORM A WORKING GROUP OR COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE, LEVERAGING EACH OTHER'S STRENGTH AND EXPERTISE IN SPECIFIC AREAS.

U-RISE AT SPELMAN COLLEGE - THE U-RISE AT SPELMAN PROGRAM HAS ONE SPECIFIC AIM THAT WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED WITH FOCUS ON TWO SUBSIDIARY AIMS:   SPECIFIC AIM. TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF SPELMAN COLLEGE STUDENTS ENTERING DOCTORAL PROGRAMS, BY MAKING THEM MORE COMPETITIVE FOR ADMISSION INTO BIOMEDICAL AND BEHAVIORAL PHD PROGRAMS.    SUBSIDIARY AIM 1. TO INCREASE STUDENT AWARENESS OF BIOMEDICAL AND BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH AND TO ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO PURSUE A CAREER IN RESEARCH.    SUBSIDIARY AIM 2. TO DEVELOP EMPIRICAL RESEARCH KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS OF STUDENTS SO THAT THEY WILL BE PREPARED FOR THE RIGOR OF THE ADVANCED RESEARCH TRAINING OF DOCTORAL PROGRAMS.    STUDENTS WILL ATTEND MODULES TO DEVELOP THEIR CRITICAL THINKING AND DATA SCIENCE SKILLS AND LEARN WHAT IT TAKES TO WORK WELL IN A SCIENTIFIC LAB IN THEIR FIRST SEMESTER. THEY WILL ALSO WORK IN ACTIVE RESEARCH LABS DURING THE ACADEMIC YEAR AND PARTICIPATE IN EXTERNAL RESEARCH-INTENSIVE SUMMER PROGRAMS. ONE HUNDRED PERCENT OF U-RISE SCHOLARS WILL DEMONSTRATE IN-DEPTH COMPREHENSION OF THEIR RESEARCH DESIGN, PRESENT THEIR RESEARCH EVERY YEAR, AND ATTEND AT LEAST ONE PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCE. WE TAKE A HOLISTIC APPROACH BY DEVELOPING THE SOFT SKILLS THAT WILL PROMOTE SUCCESS IN CURRENT AND FUTURE LAB PLACEMENTS. STUDENTS WILL ALSO DEVELOP INDIVIDUALIZED DEVELOPMENT PLANS THAT WILL BE UPDATED ANNUALLY AND WE WILL WORK WITH STUDENTS TO SELECT AND APPLY TO DOCTORAL PROGRAMS. WE EXPECT THAT 100% OF STUDENTS WILL COMPLETE THEIR BACCALAUREATE DEGREE IN FOUR YEARS. WE EXPECT THAT AT LEAST 60% OF PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS WILL TRANSITION INTO A DOCTORAL PROGRAM WITHIN 2 YEARS OF GRADUATION, WITH 95% OF THOSE STUDENTS COMPLETING THE PHD.

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: RESEARCHING EARLY ACCESS TO COMPUTING AND HIGHER EDUCATION (REACH): UNDERSTANDING CS PATHWAYS WITH A FOCUS ON BLACK WOMEN -THIS RESEARCH PROJECT SEEKS TO EXAMINE LONGSTANDING INEQUITIES IN ACCESS TO AND PARTICIPATION IN COMPUTER SCIENCE (CS) EDUCATION. DECADES OF RESEARCH HAVE SHOWN THAT CERTAIN SUBGROUPS (E.G., WOMEN, STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITY STUDENTS) TEND TO FACE SUBSTANTIAL BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATING IN CS COURSES AND PROGRAMS. AS COMPUTING EDUCATION CONTINUES TO EXPAND IN K-12 EDUCATION SYSTEMS, IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND HOW EARLY EXPERIENCES IN COMPUTING EDUCATION RELATE TO ENROLLMENT IN COMPUTING COURSES AND PROGRAMS IN COLLEGE. BY COMBINING QUANTITATIVE ANALYSES OF LARGE-SCALE ENROLLMENT DATA AND STUDENT SURVEYS WITH QUALITATIVE DATA FROM FOCUS GROUPS AND INTERVIEWS, THIS PROJECT AIMS TO INFORM EFFORTS TO BROADEN AND DIVERSIFY PARTICIPATION IN COMPUTING EDUCATION. SPECIFICALLY, THIS PROJECT SEEKS TO SYSTEMATICALLY ANSWER HOW K-12 COMPUTING EXPERIENCES INFLUENCE STUDENTS AS THEY PURSUE HIGHER EDUCATION AND WHETHER AND HOW THAT INFLUENCE DIFFERS FOR DISTINCT SUBPOPULATIONS OF STUDENTS. THE GOAL OF THIS MIXED-METHODS PROJECT IS TO EXAMINE EQUITY IN COMPUTER SCIENCE (CS) EDUCATION BY INVESTIGATING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STUDENTS? COMPUTING EXPERIENCES IN K-12 AND HIGHER EDUCATION WITH A FOCUS ON THE EXPERIENCES OF BLACK WOMEN. THE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS GUIDING THIS RESEARCH ARE BLACK FEMINIST THOUGHT, SPECIFICALLY INTERSECTIONALITY, AND SOCIAL CAPITAL THEORY. THE PROJECT SPANS THREE LEVELS OF DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: STATE, INSTITUTION, AND INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCE. THESE LEVELS HAVE REFERENCE NOT TO THE UNIT OF ANALYSIS (ALL THREE LEVELS UTILIZE STUDENT-LEVEL DATA) BUT RATHER TO THE WAY THE DATA ARE ORGANIZED. CLUSTER ANALYSIS OF STATEWIDE EDUCATION DATA WILL BE USED TO IDENTIFY COMPUTER SCIENCE COURSE TAKING PATTERNS IN MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL. MULTILEVEL MODELING WILL THEN BE EMPLOYED TO INVESTIGATE HOW THESE COURSE TAKING PATTERNS ARE RELATED TO PARTICIPATION IN COMPUTING COURSES AND PROGRAMS IN COLLEGE. FOCUS WILL BE PLACED ON UNDERSTANDING HOW THESE RELATIONSHIPS DIFFER FOR DISTINCT GROUPS OF STUDENTS. FINDINGS FROM THESE ANALYSES WILL BE COUPLED WITH ANALYSES OF COLLEGE STUDENT SURVEYS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW STUDENTS? EXPERIENCES IN K-12 INFLUENCED THEIR OPPORTUNITIES, CHALLENGES, AND DECISIONS REGARDING COMPUTING EDUCATION IN COLLEGE. FINALLY, BLACK WOMEN WHO ARE MAJORING IN CS WILL BE ENGAGED IN DATA INTERPRETATION, FOCUS GROUPS, AND INTERVIEWS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THEIR UNIQUE EXPERIENCES WITHIN THE CS ECOSYSTEM. THESE ANALYSES WILL HELP CONCEPTUALIZE BROADENING PARTICIPATION IN COMPUTING ALONG THE K-16 PATHWAY IN A WAY THAT SUPPORTS STUDENTS, PARTICULARLY BLACK WOMEN, IN APPLYING COMPUTING SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE TO SOLVE PROBLEMS IN A VARIETY OF DISCIPLINES. THIS PROJECT IS SUPPORTED BY NSF'S EHR CORE RESEARCH (ECR) PROGRAM. THE ECR PROGRAM EMPHASIZES FUNDAMENTAL STEM EDUCATION RESEARCH THAT GENERATES FOUNDATIONAL KNOWLEDGE IN THE FIELD. INVESTMENTS ARE MADE IN CRITICAL AREAS THAT ARE ESSENTIAL, BROAD, AND ENDURING: STEM LEARNING AND STEM LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS, BROADENING PARTICIPATION IN STEM, AND STEM WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. THE PROGRAM SUPPORTS THE ACCUMULATION OF ROBUST EVIDENCE TO INFORM EFFORTS TO UNDERSTAND, BUILD THEORY TO EXPLAIN, AND SUGGEST INTERVENTIONS AND INNOVATIONS TO ADDRESS PERSISTENCE. 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.

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