University Of San Diego-Led Initiative Receives $598K Grant

SAN DIEGO, CA – A University of San Diego-led initiative to provide students with research opportunities beyond apprenticeships and internships was awarded a $598,000 grant from the National Science Foundation.

The three-year grant will support a team of 15 faculty from a dozen institutions of higher learning, including USD and Southwestern College in Chula Vista, who will implement a program of course-based research experiences.

"This type of high-impact teaching has been shown to help students increase their enthusiasm for learning science and earning advanced degrees in the sciences, as well as enhancing of critical thinking skills," said Joseph Provost, associate chairman of USD's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Provost and two other professors, Ellis Bell and Jessica Bell, will direct the program, which is expected to involve around 1,000 students in 56 courses.

Faculty at Marshall University, the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, University of Nebraska-Lincoln and West Virginia University are among those also included in the project.

By City News Service

Photo: The Donald P. Shiley Center for Science and Technology on the campus of the University of San Diego. / Wikipedia under Creative Commons