Planning: SEA-PHAGES-TYC DCL: Integrating a Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience in Introductory Biology at a Two-Year College

About This Grant

This project aims to serve the national interest by increasing the number of research opportunities available for two-year college students and to strengthen student interest, engagement, and persistence in STEM. Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) 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. Over two years, the project aims to determine how such programs can be effectively scaled across multiple campuses and potentially expanded to additional disciplines, ultimately supporting a more scientifically prepared workforce. The goals of this project are to increase the number of students engaged in authentic research experiences, support progress toward STEM degree attainment, and establish the necessary institutional structures to support research. To achieve this goal, the SEA-PHAGES curriculum is embedded within the general biology courses at NOVA, with plans to expand reach across multiple courses and campuses over time. Additionally, faculty and staff engage in capacity building activities for implementing and expanding research experiences for two-year college students. Assessment and evaluation efforts focus on both outcomes for students and the institutional infrastructure required to scale course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) across NOVA's STEM program. Dissemination efforts include student presentations at conferences and on-campus events, as well as faculty presentations at conferences to inform and share outcomes with the broader two-year college STEM education community. By embedding research directly into high-enrollment courses that reach students early in their academic journey, NOVA seeks to create a sustainable model for integrating research-based learning into the community college context. 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.