Planning: SEA-PHAGES-TYC DCL: Integration of a Biology Focused Course-Based Research Experience at a Two-Year College

About This Grant

This project aims to serve the national interest by enhancing the workforce preparedness of two-year college students through engagement in a proven course-based research experience (CRE) focused on molecular biology, bioinformatics and genomics. As the largest two-year college in the state, Front Range Community College has been selected to join the Howard Hughes Medical institute's (HHMI) Science Education Alliance Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) initiative. This initiative connects a nationwide network of STEM faculty dedicated to supporting the adaptation, implementation and assessment of authentic research experiences for students early in the college pathway. The SEA-PHAGES curriculum spans two-semesters and immerses students in discovery-based research that begins with isolating novel bacteriophages from soil and continues through microbiological methods, genome annotation, and bioinformatics analyses. In doing so, the project creates a valuable opportunity for a two-year college to engage in a national community focused on improving instruction and contributing to broader research on effective educational practices. The goal of this project is to advance student learning and success by transforming the biology curriculum to include an authentic STEM research experience that connects learning with real-world applications. To achieve this goal, the SEA-PHAGES curriculum is embedded within the microbiology program, with plans to expand reach across multiple courses and campuses over time. Faculty engage in an on-going professional development community that links educators nationwide through shared activities and collaboration. Assessment and evaluation efforts focus on student outcomes such as persistence, career pathway selection, and content mastery. An external evaluator will use a mixed methods design to measure the extent the program's proposed activities have been implemented, who participated, and if proposed objectives are met. Dissemination efforts include student presentations at conferences and on-campus events, as well as faculty publications and presentations at conferences to inform and share outcomes with the broader biology education community. Ultimately, this project aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of how two-year colleges can effectively engage students in research experiences. The NSF IUSE: Innovation in Two-Year College STEM Education (ITYC) Program seeks to accelerate the impact of and advance knowledge about emerging and evidence-based practices in undergraduate STEM education at two-year colleges. 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.