COASTAL CAROLINA UNIVERSITY

GRANT PROGRAM

COACHING AND RETENTION FOR ENGINEERING STUDENTS: IMPROVING LOW-INCOME STUDENT SUCCESS IN ENGINEERING WITH INNOVATIVE MENTORING AND EARLY INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCES -THIS PROJECT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE NATIONAL NEED FOR WELL-EDUCATED SCIENTISTS, MATHEMATICIANS, ENGINEERS, AND TECHNICIANS BY SUPPORTING THE RETENTION AND GRADUATION OF HIGH-ACHIEVING, LOW-INCOME STUDENTS WITH DEMONSTRATED FINANCIAL NEED AT COASTAL CAROLINA UNIVERSITY, A PUBLIC COMPREHENSIVE LIBERAL ARTS INSTITUTION LOCATED IN CONWAY, SOUTH CAROLINA. OVER ITS 6-YEAR DURATION, THIS PROJECT WILL FUND SCHOLARSHIPS TO 11 UNIQUE FULL-TIME STUDENTS WHO ARE PURSUING BACHELOR?S DEGREES IN ENGINEERING SCIENCE. FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS WILL RECEIVE UP TO FOUR YEARS OF SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT. THE PROJECT AIMS TO INCREASE STUDENT PERSISTENCE AND DEGREE ATTAINMENT IN ENGINEERING BY LINKING SCHOLARSHIPS WITH EFFECTIVE SUPPORTING ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING SUMMER BRIDGE COURSES, MENTORING, AND EARLY PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING EXPERIENCES. WITH THE HELP OF A TAILORED FIRST-YEAR CURRICULUM AND MENTOR COACHING, THE SCHOLARS WILL OBTAIN EMPLOYMENT IN INDUSTRY AS ENGINEERING INTERNS DURING THEIR SUMMER TERM AS RISING SOPHOMORES. SCHOLARS WILL RECEIVE JOB-SITE MENTORING FROM PRACTICING ENGINEERS AT THE PROJECT?S INDUSTRY PARTNERS WHO WILL PROVIDE AND SUPERVISE INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCES. THE PROJECT WILL INVESTIGATE IMPROVED PRACTICES IN MENTORING, ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION OF CURRICULUM IMPROVEMENTS, AND EFFECTIVE MECHANISMS FOR INDUSTRY FEEDBACK INTO HIGHER EDUCATION CURRICULA. BECAUSE THE ENGINEERING SCIENCE PROGRAM AT COASTAL CAROLINA UNIVERSITY HAS A HIGH POPULATION OF UNDERREPRESENTED STUDENTS, THIS PROJECT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BROADEN PARTICIPATION IN ENGINEERING AND TO LEARN HOW MENTORING AND EARLY INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCES SUPPORT RETENTION AND GRADUATION OF THIS STUDENT POPULATION. THE OVERALL GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO INCREASE STEM DEGREE COMPLETION OF LOW-INCOME, HIGH-ACHIEVING UNDERGRADUATES WITH DEMONSTRATED FINANCIAL NEED. TOWARDS THIS END THE PROJECT TEAM WILL PURSUE THREE SPECIFIC AIMS. FIRST IS TO ACCOMMODATE DEVELOPMENTAL MATH-READY ENGINEERING STUDENTS USING A TWO-COURSE SUMMER BRIDGE PROGRAM, INTEGRATING A MATH BOOT CAMP AND AN ENGINEERING GRAPHICS COURSE, LINKED BY A FUN, SKILLS-FOCUSED, EXPLORATORY RAPID-PROTOTYPING DESIGN PROJECT. SECOND IS TO ENHANCE STUDENT ACADEMIC SUCCESS THROUGH A PROGRAM OF MENTORING FOCUSED ON SELF-REGULATED LEARNING STRATEGIES. THIRD, AND FINALLY, IS TO CONFER SELF-EFFICACY AND MOTIVATIONAL BENEFITS ACCRUING TO DEGREE COMPLETION, THROUGH A CULMINATING, EARLY ENGINEERING INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE. THIS PROJECT WILL INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF SUMMER BRIDGE COURSES, MENTORING, AND EARLY INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCES ON STUDENTS? SELF-EFFICACY AND OUTCOMES EXPECTATIONS, INTEREST, AND SATISFACTION IN ENGINEERING, IN THE FRAMEWORK OF SOCIAL COGNITIVE CAREER THEORY. THIS PROJECT WILL INVESTIGATE THE FACTORS IN THESE PROJECT INTERVENTIONS THAT RESULT IN HIGH SATISFACTION AND PERSISTENCE TO DEGREE COMPLETION FOR LOW-INCOME STUDENTS IN ENGINEERING. EVALUATION OF THE PROJECT WILL BE CONDUCTED IN LIGHT OF SOCIAL COGNITIVE CAREER THEORY. MENTORING REPORTS, INTERNSHIP COVER LETTERS, WORKPLACE COMPETENCY ASSESSMENTS, STUDENT INTERVIEWS, AND MOTIVATED STRATEGIES FOR LEARNING QUESTIONNAIRES WILL BE ANALYZED FOR BENEFITS TO STUDENTS' MOTIVATIONAL PROFILES AND VIEWS OF ENGINEERING AND INSTITUTIONAL DATA WILL BE EXAMINED FOR IMPACTS ON ENGINEERING PROGRAM PROGRESSION AND COMPLETION. RESULTS WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE BY A PROJECT PAGE WITH THE OPEN SCIENCE FRAMEWORK, WHERE ALL RELEVANT PROJECT MATERIALS WILL BE STORED AND PUBLICLY AVAILABLE. THIS PROJECT IS FUNDED BY NSF?S SCHOLARSHIPS IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS PROGRAM, WHICH SEEKS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF LOW-INCOME ACADEMICALLY TALENTED STUDENTS WITH DEMONSTRATED FINANCIAL NEED WHO EARN DEGREES IN STEM FIELDS. IT ALSO AIMS TO IMPROVE THE EDUCATION OF FUTURE STEM WORKERS, AND TO GENERATE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ACADEMIC SUCCESS, RETENTION, TRANSFER, GRADUATION, AND ACADEMIC/CAREER PATHWAYS OF LOW-INCOME 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.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

BUILD INTERDISCIPLINARY CAPACITY TO YIELD CULTURALLY-RESPONSIVE LEADERS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD-SPECIAL EDUCATION

RUI: DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF GENOMIC RESOURCES FOR ASCIDIAN TAXONOMY AND HOLOBIONT EVOLUTION

CAMPUS BASED-FWS

CAMPUS BASED-FWS

CAMPUS BASED-FSEOG

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: DYNAMICS OF CROSS-SHELF PLUMES UNDER UPWELLING WIND CONDITIONS -THE PROJECT WILL INVESTIGATE THE LINKAGE OF LAND-DERIVED RIVERINE WATERS WITH OPEN OCEAN WATERS VIA 'BUOYANT PLUMES.' THE PROJECT WILL ASSESS THE ROLE OF RIVER DISCHARGE, TIDES AND WINDS IN THE FORMATION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE BUOYANT PLUMES THROUGHOUT THE CONTINENTAL SHELF. FOR SUCH ASSESSMENT, THE PROJECT WILL USE SHIPBOARD MEASUREMENTS, AUTONOMOUS SURFACE VEHICLES, AUTONOMOUS FLYING VEHICLES (DRONES), AND A FLOATING PLATFORM THAT WILL BE COMPLEMENTED BY COMPUTER MODEL SIMULATIONS. THE PROJECT WILL PROVIDE APPROXIMATIONS OF THE LINKAGE BETWEEN LAND AND OPEN-OCEAN PROCESSES TO BE USED IN GLOBAL-SCALE MODELS. THE PROJECT WILL ALSO FACILITATE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN A RESEARCH INTENSIVE UNIVERSITY AND AN UNDERGRADUATE COLLEGE. IT WILL TRAIN GRADUATE STUDENTS AND PROVIDE VALUABLE EXPERIENCES TO UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS. THIS STUDY CONCENTRATES ON THE DYNAMICS OF SUPERCRITICAL COASTAL BUOYANT PLUMES THAT EXPAND OBLIQUELY ACROSS THE SHELF. THESE BUOYANT PLUMES TRANSPORT LOW SALINITY WATERS ACROSS THE CONTINENTAL SHELF AND CAN BE ENTRAINED BY OCEAN CURRENTS FLOWING BY THE SHELF?S EDGE. THE BUOYANT PLUMES ARE INFLUENCED BY THE BALANCE BETWEEN WIND STRESS (UPWELLING-FAVORABLE) AND BUOYANCY FORCING. TIDAL PULSES OF BRACKISH WATER INTERFERE WITH SUCH DYNAMIC BALANCE TO PRODUCE RADIAL FRONTS REFERRED TO AS SUB-PLUMES. THESE SUB-PLUMES ARE SUBSEQUENTLY ADVECTED BY EKMAN TRANSPORT. DATA COLLECTION WILL CONSIST OF 4 SEASONAL SURVEYS OF WINYAH BAY PLUME USING SHIPS (UNOLS SHIP REQUESTED), DRONES, AUTONOMOUS SURFACE VEHICLES, AND A FLOATING PLATFORM TO OBTAIN PROFILES OF WATER VELOCITY, SALINITY, TEMPERATURE, AND TURBULENCE PROPERTIES. THE SUB-PLUME FRONTS SHALL BE UBIQUITOUS AS LONG AS THE HORIZONTAL DENSITY GRADIENT IS PROMINENT AND THE INERTIAL PERIOD IS GREATER THAN THE TIDAL PERIOD. OBSERVATIONS WILL BE COMPLEMENTED BY NUMERICAL SIMULATIONS WITH A NON-HYDROSTATIC NUMERICAL MODEL. AS BROADER IMPACTS, THE STUDY WILL ALLOW PARAMETRIZATION OF CROSS-SHELF PLUMES INTO LOWER RESOLUTION MODELS THAT STUDY LAND-OCEAN EXCHANGES. THE PROJECT WILL SUPPORT 2 MS AND 1 PHD STUDENTS, AND OFFER CRUISE OPPORTUNITIES TO SEVERAL UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS. DATA COLLECTED AND THEIR ANALYSIS WILL PRODUCE OCEAN DATA ANALYSIS MODULES TO BE DISTRIBUTED TO THE OCEANOGRAPHIC COMMUNITY. THE PROJECT WILL BE A COLLABORATION BETWEEN AND R1 AND A TEACHING INSTITUTION. 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.

CAMPUS BASED-FSEOG

COLLABORATIVE PROPOSAL: THE BENTHIC INFLUENCE ON NORTH ATLANTIC DEEP WATER END SIGNATURES -THE SPEEDS AND PATTERNS OF DEEP WATER CURRENTS, COLLECTIVELY KNOWN AS THERMOHALINE CIRCULATION, IMPACT THE GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION OF HEAT AND CHEMICALS INCLUDING DISSOLVED OXYGEN AND CARBON DIOXIDE. MODERN THERMOHALINE CIRCULATION HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS A CONVEYOR BELT, WHEREIN DEEP WATER IS FORMED IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC AND NEAR ANTARCTICA, THEN MOVES THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE GLOBAL OCEANS. CHANGES IN THE LOCATION AND STRENGTH OF DEEP WATER FORMATION HAVE DRAMATIC IMPACT ON BOTH THE OCEAN AND ON EARTH?S CLIMATE. HOWEVER, DIRECT MEASUREMENT OF CIRCULATION FROM EARTH?S PAST IS NOT POSSIBLE AND MEASURING MODERN OCEAN CIRCULATION IS DIFFICULT, BECAUSE OF THE INACCESSIBILITY OF THE DEEP OCEAN AND THE VAST SPATIAL SCALES INVOLVED, GEOSCIENTISTS MUST RELY ON GEOCHEMICAL TRACERS TO UNDERSTAND DEEP CIRCULATION. THESE TRACERS ALLOW GEOSCIENTISTS TO UNDERSTAND CHANGES IN OCEAN CIRCULATION FROM BOTH MODERN OCEAN WATER AND ANCIENT WATERS RECORDED IN OCEAN SEDIMENTS, AND THUS INFORM MODELS THAT PREDICT FUTURE CHANGE. OBSERVATIONS THAT THE ISOTOPIC RATIO OF THE DISSOLVED TRACE METAL NEODYMIUM (143ND AND 144ND) APPEARS TO MIMIC MODERN DEEP OCEAN CIRCULATION HAS MEANT THAT THIS RATIO IS CONSIDERED ONE SUCH CIRCULATION TRACER. UNFORTUNATELY, IT IS NOT YET UNDERSTOOD WHY THIS RATIO OSTENSIBLY MIRRORS DEEP OCEAN CIRCULATION, NOR IS THE ESTABLISHED VIEW ON THE MARINE GEOCHEMICAL CYCLE OF NEODYMIUM COMPLETELY CONSISTENT WITH OBSERVATIONS. TO RESOLVE THESE INCONSISTENCIES, THE RESEARCHERS HYPOTHESIZE THAT THE SEDIMENTS AT THE SEAFLOOR ARE A MAJOR SOURCE OF NEODYMIUM TO THE OCEAN; A PROPOSAL IN CONTRAST TO EXISTING ELEMENT BUDGETS WHICH CONSIDER THE SEDIMENTS TO BE PRIMARILY A SINK REMOVING NEODYMIUM FROM THE OCEAN. TO TEST THIS IDEA, THE INVESTIGATORS WILL SAMPLE SEDIMENTS, THE PORE WATER THEY CONTAIN, AND THE OVERLYING OCEAN WATER FROM SEVERAL SITES IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC, MEASURING A SUITE OF ELEMENTS AND ISOTOPES IN ALL THESE SAMPLES. THIS RESEARCH WILL CONTRIBUTE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE GEOCHEMISTRY OF NEODYMIUM AND ITS ISOTOPES IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC, ONE OF THE REGIONS CRITICAL TO UNDERSTANDING OCEAN CIRCULATION. CONSTRAINING THE MAJOR CONTROLS ON NEODYMIUM IN THE OCEAN IS SIGNIFICANT TO THE UNDERSTANDING OF OCEAN-CLIMATE INTERACTIONS AS DIFFERENT MECHANISMS CAN LEAD TO VERY DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS OF THE NEODYMIUM RECORD OF PAST AND PRESENT DEEP WATER CIRCULATION. THIS IMPROVED UNDERSTANDING WILL RESULT IN MORE ACCURATE INTERPRETATIONS OF NEW AND EXISTING DATA WITH RESPECT TO CHANGES IN DEEP OCEAN CIRCULATION THROUGH TIME AND ITS IMPACT ON CLIMATE. NEODYMIUM (ND) IS ONE OF 14 RARE EARTH ELEMENTS (REES) FREQUENTLY USED TO INVESTIGATE ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESSES. IN ADDITION TO ITS USE AS PART OF THE REE SERIES, THE ISOTOPE RATIO OF NEODYMIUM (143ND/144ND; END) IS ARGUABLY THE MOST PROMISING TRACER OF PAST OCEAN CIRCULATION, AND IS ALSO HEAVILY INVESTED IN THE GEOTRACES PROJECT FOR THE MODERN OCEAN. UNFORTUNATELY, MANY OBSERVATIONAL AND THEORETICAL STUDIES INDICATE THAT THE MECHANISTIC UNDERSTANDING OF BOTH OF THESE TRACERS HAS CONSIDERABLE PROBLEMS, LEADING TO POTENTIALLY ERRONEOUS INTERPRETATIONS. THE RESEARCH TEAM PRIOR EFFORTS HAVE CONCLUDED THAT A BENTHIC SOURCE OF REES TO THE OCEANS EXERTS A PRIMARY CONTROL OVER THE DISTRIBUTION OF REES AND END IN DEEP WATERS. TO DATE THIS WORK HAS BEEN CONDUCTED IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN, BUT IN THIS PROJECT THE INVESTIGATORS WILL TEST THE HYPOTHESIS IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC, A REGION CRITICAL FOR THERMOHALINE CIRCULATION. THIS PROJECT WILL EXPLORE FUNDAMENTAL ASPECTS OF THE GEOCHEMICAL CYCLE OF MARINE REES AND ND ISOTOPES. THUS, THIS WORK HAS TRANSFORMATIVE IMPLICATIONS ON THE UNDERSTANDING AND APPLICATION OF THE REES AND ND ISOTOPE DATA IN BOTH THE MODERN AND ANCIENT OCEANS. THE INVESTIGATORS MAKE THE SPECIFIC AND (PERHAPS) COUNTERINTUITIVE PREDICTION THAT BENTHIC FLUXES OF THE REES WILL BE GREATER IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC THAN THOSE MEASURED IN THE PACIFIC. IF PROVEN CORRECT, THESE RESULTS WILL TRANSFORM THE INTERPRETATIONS OF A LARGE SUITE OF EXISTING DATA AND PROVIDE A MORE ACCURATE MECHANISTIC UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT INFORMATION THESE ELEMENTS PROVIDE ABOUT MODERN AND PAST OCEAN CIRCULATION. EVEN IF PROVEN INCORRECT, THE PROPOSED MEASUREMENTS WILL PROVIDE AN IMPORTANT CONTRAST TO THOSE MADE IN THE PACIFIC AND WILL OFFER INSIGHT INTO THE GLOBAL GEOCHEMICAL CYCLING OF THESE ELEMENTS AND THEIR ISOTOPES. BEYOND THE USE AND INTERPRETATION OF NEODYMIUM, THE WORK WILL FURTHER THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THE BENTHIC ENVIRONMENT ON MARINE TRACE METAL CYCLING IN A GENERAL SENSE (E.G., FOR IRON, COPPER, ZINC, CHROMIUM, ETC.) 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.

EDU EPSCOR DCL: STRENGTHENING THE FRONTLINES OF COMPUTER SCIENCE EDUCATION: EMPOWERING TEACHERS TO LEAD RIGOROUS CS PROGRAMS IN SOUTH CAROLINA -THERE IS A COMPUTER SCIENCE (CS) TEACHER SHORTAGE IN THE UNITED STATES AT THE K-12 LEVEL DUE TO MANY FACTORS, INCLUDING THE SCARCITY OF POST-SECONDARY CS TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAMS. THIS HIGH SCHOOL STRAND RESEARCH-PRACTICE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN COASTAL CAROLINA UNIVERSITY AND SOUTH CAROLINA TEACHERS AND SCHOOLS, INCLUDING THOSE SERVING RURAL, LOW-INCOME, AND UNDERREPRESENTED STUDENTS IN CS, AIMS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF LICENSED CS TEACHERS IN SOUTH CAROLINA WHO CAN LEAD RIGOROUS CS PROGRAMS IN THEIR SCHOOLS. THE PROJECT WILL OFFER AN ACCELERATED, YET COMPREHENSIVE, SUMMER BOOT CAMP CURRICULUM THAT MODELS THE UNIVERSITY?S CS EDUCATION PROGRAM AND EMBEDS COGNITIVE LEARNING-BASED, CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE PEDAGOGIES. THIS PROJECT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO ADVANCE WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT CS BOOT CAMPS AND HOW THESE ACCELERATED PROGRAMS CAN BE USED EFFECTIVELY IN CS TEACHER EDUCATION, ESPECIALLY IN STATES WITH HIGH PERCENTAGES OF LOW-INCOME, RURAL SCHOOLS AND A HIGH PERCENTAGE TRADITIONALLY UNDERREPRESENTED STUDENTS IN CS. THIS PROJECT AIMS TO DIRECTLY IMPACT 32 SOUTH CAROLINA (SC) TEACHERS, INCLUDING TEACHERS FROM RURAL, TITLE 1 SCHOOLS AND THOSE SERVING A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF TRADITIONALLY UNDERREPRESENTED STUDENTS. THE BOOT CAMP DESIGN WILL INCLUDE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS ON IMPLEMENTING THE BEAUTY AND JOY OF COMPUTING AP CSP CURRICULUM, A DISCORD SOCIAL MEDIA LEARNING COMMUNITY FOR TEACHERS, AND A FINAL CAPSTONE PROJECT THAT WILL STRENGTHEN TEACHERS? CS SKILLS AND THE CSED SUPPORT NETWORK AVAILABLE IN SC. IN THIS STUDY, TEACHERS IN THE RPP AND THOSE IN THE BOOT CAMP WILL EVALUATE THE BOOT CAMP?S DESIGN AND EXPLORE SUPPORTS THAT IMPROVE CSED EXPERIENCES FOR STUDENTS IN SC HIGH SCHOOLS. SEVERAL MEASURES WILL BE USED IN THIS PROJECT TO COLLECT DATA AND EVALUATE STUDENT AND TEACHER OUTCOMES, THE CONTENT AND DESIGN QUALITY OF THE BOOT CAMP, AND THE RPP?S EFFECTIVENESS. OUR RESEARCH QUESTIONS ARE: 1) TO WHAT EXTENT HAS THE RPP POSITIVELY INFLUENCED CS PERCEPTION FOR TEACHERS, STUDENTS, RESEARCHERS, AND ADMINISTRATORS? 2) HOW DOES THE CS SUMMER BOOT CAMP IMPACT TEACHERS? CS EFFICACY, CONTENT KNOWLEDGE, COMPUTATIONAL THINKING, AND CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE TEACHING SKILLS? 3) HOW DOES THE DESIGN OF THE CS BOOT CAMP IMPACT TEACHERS? CS PEDAGOGICAL SKILLS? 4) TO WHAT EXTENT DOES THE IMPLEMENTATION OF COGNITIVE LEARNING-BASED, CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE TEACHING STRATEGIES IMPACT STUDENTS? MOTIVATION, ENGAGEMENT, AND LEARNING? 5) HOW CAN LESSONS LEARNED BE USED TO IMPACT POLICY AND FUTURE STUDY ITERATIONS? FINDINGS WILL CONTRIBUTE TO UNDERSTANDING HOW TO DESIGN SCALABLE BOOT CAMPS FOR FUTURE IMPLEMENTATION. 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.

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: USING STABLE ISOTOPE LABELING TO TRACE THE FATE OF AMINO ACIDS AND FORMATION OF REFRACTORY DISSOLVED ORGANIC NITROGEN (DON) IN THE OCEAN -DISSOLVED ORGANIC NITROGEN (DON) IS A LARGE POOL OF REDUCED NITROGEN THAT INFLUENCES CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES. DON PLAYS IMPORTANT ROLES IN PRIMARY PRODUCTION, NUTRIENT AVAILABILITY, AND CARBON STORAGE IN THE OCEAN. THE COMPOUNDS AND STRUCTURES IN DON INFLUENCE ITS ROLE IN THESE PROCESSES. THIS PROJECT USES NOVEL METHODS TO STUDY AMINO ACIDS, A GROUP OF SMALL ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS THAT MAKE-UP PROTEINS. SPECIFICALLY, THE STUDY WILL FOCUS ON HOW AMINO ACIDS ARE CONVERTED TO DIFFERENT FORMS AND ?REFRACTORY DON.? REFRACTORY DON CAN RESIST DEGRADATION AND PERSIST IN THE OCEAN FOR SEVERAL THOUSAND YEARS. THIS STUDY WILL USE STABLE ISOTOPES TO TRACE THE FATE OF NITROGEN IN AMINO ACIDS AND ADDRESS IMPORTANT QUESTIONS ABOUT MARINE NITROGEN CYCLING. FINDINGS FROM THIS STUDY WILL BE USEFUL FOR UNDERSTANDING THE COMPOSITION OF DON AND HOW MARINE ORGANISMS USE THIS FORM OF NITROGEN. IN ADDITION, THIS PROJECT WILL TRAIN GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS, OFFER EDUCATION PROGRAMS TO K-12 STUDENTS, AND ENHANCE OCEAN LITERACY THROUGH PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS AND RADIO PROGRAMS. THIS PROJECT INVESTIGATES THE FATE OF NITROGEN (N) IN AMINO ACIDS AND THE PROCESSES THAT CONTRIBUTE TO FORMING REFRACTORY DISSOLVED ORGANIC NITROGEN (DON) IN THE OCEAN. USING STABLE ISOTOPE PROBING WITH 15N-LABELED AMINO ACIDS AND CONTROLLED INCUBATIONS, THE STUDY WILL TRACE THE FATE OF DIFFERENT AMINO ACIDS WITH DIVERSE CHEMICAL STRUCTURES IN WATERS FROM PRODUCTIVE COASTAL ZONES TO OLIGOTROPHIC OPEN OCEAN WATERS. THE PROPORTIONS OF AMINO ACID-DERIVED N THAT ARE REMINERALIZED INTO INORGANIC FORMS (E.G., AMMONIUM, NITRITE AND NITRATE), CONVERTED TO LABILE DON, AND TRANSFORMED TO REFRACTORY DON, WILL BE TRACED AND QUANTIFIED. THROUGH THE COMPARISON OF LABELED AND UNLABELED INCUBATIONS, ADVANCED HIGH-RESOLUTION MASS SPECTROMETRY TECHNIQUES WILL BE APPLIED TO CHARACTERIZE THE MOLECULAR COMPOSITION OF AMINO ACID-DERIVED DON AND COMPARE IT TO NATURALLY OCCURRING REFRACTORY DON. THE OVERARCHING GOAL OF THE PROJECT IS TO IMPROVE THE UNDERSTANDING OF N CYCLING AND THE PROCESSES THAT INFLUENCE THE MARINE DON POOL. RESULTS FROM THIS PROJECT WILL ENHANCE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF MARINE N DYNAMICS AND THE MOLECULAR-LEVEL COMPOSITION OF THE OCEANIC DON POOL. THIS PROJECT WILL ALSO PROMOTE STEM EDUCATION BY TRAINING GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS THROUGH A SEMESTER BY THE SEA PROGRAM AND SUMMER INTERNSHIPS. K-12 STUDENTS WILL HAVE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH A SUMMER SCIENCE PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MARINE SCIENCE INSTITUTE. RESULTS WILL BE DISSEMINATED THROUGH PUBLICATIONS, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS, PUBLIC LECTURES AND RADIO PROGRAMS. 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.

NSF-BSF: THE BIOMECHANICS OF LONG-DISTANCE FLIGHT IN LARGE BEETLES: DO SMALLER INDIVIDUALS FLY BETTER?

DATA FUSION FOR REMOTE SENDING OF TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY LEVELS FOR VERTICAL PROFILES

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: NSF-NFRF: WHALEADAPT: ADAPTATION OF VULNERABLE SUBSISTENCE-BASED NORTH ATLANTIC COMMUNITIES TO MARINE MAMMAL REDISTRIBUTION UNDER CLIMATE CHANGE -COUNTRIES OF THE GLOBAL SOUTH AND INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES ARE ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE TO CLIMATE CHANGE, PARTLY DUE TO RELIANCE ON LOCAL, WILD-CAUGHT FOODS. AT LEAST 54 SPECIES OF TOOTHED WHALES ARE CONSUMED ACROSS 86 COUNTRIES WORLDWIDE AND THE PRACTICE IS INCREASING. YET, TOOTHED WHALE HARVEST OFTEN OCCURS IN REMOTE AND UNDERSTUDIED REGIONS, LEAVING A LARGE GAP IN KNOWLEDGE OF WHALE POPULATIONS, THEIR CONTAMINATION AND NUTRITIONAL VALUE, AND THEIR SOCIOECONOMIC IMPORTANCE TO COMMUNITIES, PARTICULARLY IN THE CONTEXT OF ACCELERATING CLIMATE CHANGE. WHALEADAPT IS AN INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION OF RESEARCHERS AND LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS FROM CANADA, THE U.S., DENMARK (GREENLAND, FAROE ISLANDS), AND ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (WINDWARD ISLANDS, EASTERN CARIBBEAN) THAT USES CUTTING-EDGE APPROACHES COMBINED WITH LOCAL ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE TO ADDRESS THE OVERARCHING QUESTION ? HOW CAN VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES RELIANT ON WHALE CONSUMPTION ADAPT SUCCESSFULLY TO SHIFTING MARINE RESOURCES DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE? WHALEADAPT IS ENGAGED AND INTEGRATED WITH THE MOST VULNERABLE GROUPS FROM THE TROPICS TO THE ARCTIC TO ADDRESS KEY RISKS THROUGH NOVEL INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES AND WILL CONTRIBUTE TO BETTER UNDERSTANDING HOW CLIMATE CHANGE IS IMPACTING THE SPATIAL AND TROPHIC ECOLOGY OF CETACEANS AS MARINE PREDATORS IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC, AND TO HELP WHALING COMMUNITIES ACROSS THREE COUNTRIES TO MAKE A SUSTAINABLE, HEALTHY, AND SOCIOECONOMICALLY VIABLE ADAPTATION TO SHIFTING MARINE RESOURCES. RESULTS HAVE BROAD IMPLICATIONS FOR NATIONAL AGENCIES AND INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS ON CLIMATE CHANGE, BIODIVERSITY, AND POLLUTION. WHALEADAPT HAS FIVE MAJOR OBJECTIVES: 1. INVESTIGATE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE DISTRIBUTION AND RELATIVE ABUNDANCE OF NORTH ATLANTIC TOOTHED WHALES USING LOCAL ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE (LEK) AND HABITAT SUITABILITY MODELLING; 2. USE CHEMICAL TRACERS TO EVALUATE THE TROPHIC ROLES OF TOOTHED WHALES ACROSS THE NORTH ATLANTIC AND STUDY CLIMATE-DRIVEN CHANGES; 3. ASSESS CONCENTRATIONS OF KEY CONTAMINANTS AND NUTRIENTS IN WHALES CONSUMED AS FOODS, AND IMPROVE KNOWLEDGE ON THEIR SOURCES AND PATHWAYS USING ISOTOPIC TRACERS; 4. INFORM THE SUSTAINABILITY OF HARVEST BASED ON POPULATION SIZE, STRUCTURE, AND DEMOGRAPHIC HISTORY; 5. CO-DEVELOP KNOWLEDGE ON THE ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL VALUE OF WHALES AS FOODS RELATIVE TO NEWLY AVAILABLE CETACEANS AND OTHER WILD (E.G., FISH) AND IMPORTED FOODS. THIS PROJECT WILL USE CUTTING-EDGE APPROACHES ACROSS DISCIPLINES IN HABITAT AND DISTRIBUTION MODELING, DIETARY TRACERS (STABLE ISOTOPES, FATTY ACID ANALYSIS), GENOMICS, ECOTOXICOLOGY, AND SOCIAL SCIENCE, PARTICULARLY USING LEK. RESULTS WILL ENGAGE THE ACADEMIC COMMUNITY AND POLICY MAKERS. RESULTS WILL BE DISSEMINATED TO RESEARCHERS THROUGH CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS, INVITED SEMINARS, PEER?REVIEWED PAPERS, AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ASSESSMENT REPORTS. THIS IS A PROJECT JOINTLY FUNDED BY THE U.S. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION AND FUNDING AGENCIES FROM CANADA VIA THE 2023 INTERNATIONAL JOINT INITIATIVE FOR RESEARCH ON CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION AND MITIGATION COMPETITION. THIS COMPETITION ALLOWED A SINGLE JOINT INTERNATIONAL PROPOSAL TO BE SUBMITTED AND PEER-REVIEWED BY CANADA. UPON SUCCESSFUL JOINT DETERMINATION OF AN AWARD RECOMMENDATION, EACH AGENCY FUNDS THE PROPORTION OF THE BUDGET THAT SUPPORTS SCIENTISTS AT INSTITUTIONS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE COUNTRIES. 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.

IGF::OT::IGF DEVELOPMENT OF HAZARD CURVES FOR WEAS

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: DEVELOPING A CAUSAL MAP ASSESSMENT TOOL FOR UNDERGRADUATE CAREER INTEREST FORMATION AND DECISION-MAKING -THIS PROJECT AIMS TO DEVELOP A CAREER INTERESTS AND DECISIONS ASSESSMENT (CIDA) IN THE CONTEXT OF UNDERGRADUATE PHYSICS EDUCATION. IN THE UNITED STATES, OVER 8000 STUDENTS EARN AN UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE IN PHYSICS EACH YEAR. THESE STUDENTS PURSUE A VARIETY OF CAREERS IN AREAS SUCH AS RESEARCH, SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT, ENGINEERING, AND TEACHING. MANY PHYSICS MAJORS PURSUE CAREERS IN AREAS OF STRATEGIC NATIONAL IMPORTANCE, SUCH AS QUANTUM TECHNOLOGY, NUCLEAR PHYSICS, SEMICONDUCTOR PHYSICS, AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. THE PROJECT WILL INVESTIGATE HOW STUDENTS DEVELOP THESE SPECIALIZED SUBFIELD INTERESTS AND USE THOSE INSIGHTS TO HELP EDUCATORS AND ADMINISTRATORS IMPROVE PATHWAYS INTO THESE CRUCIAL CAREERS. THE CIDA IS BUILT AROUND A UNIQUE GRAPHICAL FORMAT THAT WE CALL A ?CAUSAL MAP ASSESSMENT.? VISUALLY SIMILAR TO A CONCEPT OR MIND MAP, CAUSAL MAPS ALLOW STUDENTS TO TELL A RICH, COHERENT, AND VISUAL STORY OF THEIR EXPERIENCES BOTH BEFORE AND DURING COLLEGE. EACH MAP WILL REVEAL HOW VARIOUS FACTORS, INCLUDING LEARNING EXPERIENCES (E.G., COURSES, RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES, STUDENT CLUBS, OR INTERACTIONS WITH PEERS), BELIEFS AND ATTITUDES (E.G., CONFIDENCE IN PROGRAMMING OR A DESIRE TO DO HANDS-ON WORK), AWARENESS OF CAREER OPTIONS, AND CAREER INTERESTS, UNFOLD OVER TIME. THIS DATA WILL HELP US UNDERSTAND WHY STUDENTS INITIALLY CHOOSE TO BE PHYSICS MAJORS AND HOW THEIR SPECIFIC CAREER INTERESTS TAKE SHAPE THROUGHOUT THEIR UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES. THE POWER OF CAUSAL MAPS WILL EXTEND BEYOND INDIVIDUAL STORIES. THE ANALYSIS WILL COMBINE MANY STUDENTS? MAPS TO IDENTIFY BROADER PATTERNS USING A SET OF MATHEMATICAL AND STATISTICAL TECHNIQUES KNOWN AS NETWORK ANALYSIS. THE COLLECTIVE ANALYSIS WILL BE USED TO GENERATE VISUALIZATIONS, TABLES, AND REPORTS THAT ARE USEFUL TO OTHER RESEARCHERS AND TO PHYSICS DEPARTMENTS, AND TO PROVIDE INSIGHTS REGARDING NATIONAL TRENDS. THE CIDA IS INTENDED TO HELP PHYSICS DEPARTMENTS INCREASE STUDENTS? AWARENESS OF CAREER OPTIONS, INCREASE ACCESS TO POSITIVE INFLUENCES AND SUPPORTS, AND MAKE IMPROVEMENTS IN RESPONSE TO NEGATIVE INFLUENCES. THE DESIGN OF THE CAUSAL MAP ASSESSMENT WILL BE ROOTED IN THE CONSTRUCTS OF SOCIAL COGNITIVE CAREER THEORY (SCCT). CONSTRUCTING THEIR PERSONAL MAP USING THIS NEW ASSESSMENT TOOL WILL ALLOW STUDENTS TO VISUALLY ARTICULATE THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN THEIR PAST EXPERIENCES, THEIR BELIEFS ABOUT THEIR CAPABILITIES (SELF-EFFICACY), THEIR ANTICIPATED RESULTS (OUTCOME EXPECTATIONS), THEIR EMERGING INTERESTS, THE GOALS THEY SET, AND THE ACTIONS THEY TAKE. THE GRAPHICAL FORMAT IS DESIGNED TO CAPTURE THE DYNAMIC AND RECIPROCAL NATURE OF SCCT, ENABLING A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF STUDENTS? CAREER DEVELOPMENT PROCESS BY REVEALING TIME ORDERING AND CAUSATION IN A WAY THAT IS HARD TO ELICIT IN AN INTERVIEW OR LIKERT-SCALE SURVEY. THIS NEW ASSESSMENT TOOL WILL THEREFORE ADDRESS LONGSTANDING LIMITATIONS FACED BY RESEARCHERS SEEKING TO UNDERSTAND CAREER INTEREST DEVELOPMENT. EVEN A SINGLE MAP CAN BE INTERPRETED FOR MEANINGFUL INSIGHTS, BUT THIS PROJECT WILL ALSO TREAT CAUSAL MAPS AS NETWORK DATA, WHICH WILL OPEN UP THE ABILITY TO AGGREGATE AND AUTOMATE ASSESSMENT AND APPLY A WIDE RANGE OF NETWORK ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES (E.G., CENTRALITY OR MOTIFS). OVER THREE YEARS, THE PROJECT WILL CONDUCT INTERVIEWS AND ADMINISTER ASSESSMENTS WITH STUDENTS FROM A BROAD RANGE OF INSTITUTIONS TO THOROUGHLY UNDERSTAND THE RICH ARRAY OF FACTORS INFLUENCING THEIR INTEREST FORMATION; DEVELOP AND TEST A USER FRIENDLY ONLINE INTERFACE FOR THE CIDA; GATHER EVIDENCE OF VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY; ADMINISTER THE CIDA TO HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS TO COLLECT A ROBUST DATASET; PERFORM DETAILED QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF INDIVIDUAL CAUSAL MAPS; APPLY NETWORK ANALYSIS TO IDENTIFY PATTERNS AND MAKE COMPARISONS AMONG CAUSAL MAPS; AND AUTOMATE THE CREATION OF GRAPHICS AND TABLES FOR REPORTS WHEN ANALYZING GROUPS OF STUDENTS (E.G., STUDENTS IN A SPECIFIC UNDERGRADUATE PHYSICS PROGRAM). ULTIMATELY, THE OUTCOMES OF THIS WORK WILL NOT ONLY EXTEND RESEARCH ON CAREER DECISION-MAKING IN PHYSICS BUT ALSO PROVIDE POWERFUL NEW TOOLS FOR INVESTIGATING COMPLEX DECISION PROCESSES IN OTHER STEM FIELDS. THIS PROJECT IS SUPPORTED BY NSF'S EDU 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 WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, STEM LEARNING AND STEM 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 NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

WATER QUALITY MONITORING WILL BE PERFORMED FOR THE WACCAMAW NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE (SOUTH CAROLINA) IN THE CATCHMENT THAT CONTAINS THE COX FERRY LAKE RECREATIONAL AREA. TO ASSESS THE ROLE OF UPSTREAM SOURCES IN TRANSPORTING POLLUTANTS INTO THE REFUGE, THE REFUGE MANAGER WILL SELECT 10 SITES WHERE MONITORING IS TO BE CONDUCTED BIMONTHLY OVER 12 MONTHS FOR E. COLI, TURBIDITY, CONDUCTIVITY, TEMPERATURE, DISSOLVED OXYGEN, PH, NUTRIENTS, CHLOROPHYLL AND MICROCYSTIN. SAMPLING AND ANALYSES WILL BE PERFORMED WITH EPA APPROVED METHODOLOGIES. THE RESULTS WILL BE STATISTICALLY EVALUATED FOR LONG-TERM AND SPATIAL TRENDS BASED ON NEW AND PREVIOUSLY COLLECTED DATA. THE RESULTS WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE REFUGE MANAGER IN A WRITTEN REPORT THAT FACILITATES IDENTIFICATION OF POLLUTANT SOURCES AND TRENDS.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER: P23AS00145FUNDING OPPORTUNITY GOALS: PRESERVATION TECHNOLOGY AND TRAINING GRANTS (PTT GRANTS) ARE AWARDED COMPETITIVELY AND ARE INTENDED TO CREATE BETTER TOOLS, MATERIALS, AND APPROACHES TO CONSERVING BUILDINGS, LANDSCAPES, SITES, AND COLLECTIONS. THE PTT GRANTS ARE ADMINISTERED BY THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR PRESERVATION TECHNOLOGY AND TRAINING (NCPTT), THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICES INNOVATION CENTER FOR THE PRESERVATION COMMUNITY.PROGRAM GOALS AND BENEFICIARIES: THE PTT COMPETITIVE GRANTS PROGRAM WILL PROVIDE FUNDING TO FEDERAL AGENCIES, STATES, TRIBES, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. PTT GRANTS WILL SUPPORT THE FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES:INNOVATIVE RESEARCH THAT DEVELOPS NEW TECHNOLOGIES OR ADAPTS EXISTING TECHNOLOGIES TO PRESERVE CULTURAL RESOURCESSPECIALIZED WORKSHOPS OR SYMPOSIA THAT IDENTIFY AND ADDRESS NATIONAL PRESERVATION NEEDSHOW-TO VIDEOS, MOBILE APPLICATIONS, PODCASTS, BEST PRACTICES PUBLICATIONS, OR WEBINARS THAT DISSEMINATE PRACTICAL PRESERVATION METHODS OR PROVIDE BETTER TOOLS FOR PRESERVATION PRACTICETHE RECREATUS VIDEO PODCAST WILL HIGHLIGHT THE PROCESS OF CREATING AND SHARING VIRTUAL HERITAGE EXPERIENCES AND THEIR IMPACTS ON BOTH USERS AND CREATORS THROUGH THE PROPOSED TEN-EPISODE SEASON AND ASSOCIATED CONTENT. THE CONFLUENCE OF DATA, SOFTWARE, AND HARDWARE SUPPORTS A WEALTH OF THE WORK BEING DONE TODAY TO UNDERSTAND AND SHARE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL LANDSCAPES. ONE AREA OF VIRTUAL HERITAGE THAT HAS SEEN STRONG GROWTH IN RECENT YEARS IS THE USE OF 3D SOFTWARE AND VIDEO GAME ENGINES TO REPRESENT EVERYTHING FROM INDIVIDUAL OBJECTS TO EXPANSIVE CULTURAL LANDSCAPES. WITH THE INCREASING CAPABILITIES AND AVAILABILITY OF HARDWARE, SOFTWARE, AND LANDSCAPE DATA, THERE HAS BEEN A GROWTH IN THE NUMBER OF 3D PRODUCTS AS WELL AS AN INCREASE IN THE METHODS AND TECHNIQUES THAT CAN BE EMPLOYED TO REPRESENT CONTENT. THE VIRTUAL HERITAGE EXPERIENCES CREATED BY RESEARCHERS NOT ONLY PROVIDE AUDIENCES WITH A DIFFERENT, VISCERAL, WAY OF CONNECTING WITH HERITAGE CONTENT, BUT ALSO IMPACT RESEARCH ITSELF AS THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS ENGAGES THE RESEARCHER WITH THEIR SUBJECT IN A DEEPER FASHION. BY SHARING THE PROCESS OF DESIGNING AND DEVELOPING THESE INNOVATIVE PROJECTS WITH A WIDE AUDIENCE, THE RECREATUS VIDEO PODCAST CAN BECOME A VALUABLE RESOURCE FOR THOSE SCHOLARS AND PROFESSIONALS WORKING IN THE VIRTUAL HERITAGE FIELD AND FOR GENERAL AUDIENCES THAT ARE INTERESTED IN THE RESULTS OF SUCH PROJECTS.