Geo-Interactive Education Research Mini-Grants

The Opportunity

The Geo-Interactive Project team is excited to announce the availabilty of $500 mini-grants to support qualifying TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) programs to implement the Geo-Interactive workshop, which includes the World Climate simulation, and collect data as part of our educational research program.

By joining our research program, you will contribute to cutting-edge educational research that could benefit students served by TRIO programs around the country.  In addition to the grant, participating programs will receive workshop materials, training, coaching and hands-on support from our project team.

What is the Geo-Interactive Research Project?

The Geo-Interactive Project, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), seeks to broaden the pipeline of students interested in the sciences through an immersive, simulation-based learning experience using climate and sustainability as a focus. Our educational approach combines interactive computer models with engaging role-play simulations, in which students learn for themselves by making decisions, and then finding out, through utilizing the computer models, how the Earth and energy systems are expected to respond to those decisions. In short, rather than being lectured to, students learn for themselves through a process that mimics scientific discovery, building their critical thinking, communication, and leadership skills, as they work together to address the climate challenge. 

Grant Eligibility

The Geo-Interactive Mini-Grants are available to TRIO SSS programs that are able to meet the following requirements:

• Run the Geo-Interactive workshop (which includes the World Climate simulation) with at least 30 first-year enrolled in your TRIO SSS program by the December 2018. (Note: This can be achieved by running the Geo-Interactive workshop during a Summer Bridge program, a required class for incoming SSS students or through another mechanism that can assure strong student participation).

• Administer a 15-minute pre-survey to the experimental group (i.e. the freshmen who participate in the Geo-Interactive workshop) within two weeks of running the workshop. Administer a 15-min post-survey within 2 weeks of concluding the workshop. Work with us to administer a follow-up survey about a year after the workshop for the experimental group. (Note: Our team will provide digital or paper versions of all required surveys, a mechanism to collect contact info, as well as coaching and support).

• Administer two 15-minute surveys to a control group, which will be the same size as the experimental group, but consist of second or third-year students in the SSS Program who have not previously participated in the Geo-Interactive workshop. These two surveys should be adminstered between 1 day to four weeks of each other and within ~4 weeks of the experimental group workshop.

• Have the Geo-Interactive workshop facilitator(s) take a short pre-survey before preparing for the Geo-Interactive workshop, short post-surveys within 2 weeks of completing the Geo-Interactive Workshop and participate in a short interview with an external evaluator after completing the workshop.

Grant Application Process

The Geo-Interactive Mini-Grants will be provided to the first 10 qualifying TRIO SSS programs who apply. To apply, please fill out the online grant application below.  

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis between now and July 15, 2018. Applicants will be notified whether they've received a Mini-Grant within 2 weeks of their application submission.  

If you have any questions regarding the Geo-Interactive Research Project or the Mini-Grant Application Process, please reach out to our Project Team at climate_change@uml.edu. We're happy to assist.

Grant Disbursement Process

All grantees will recieve an initial disbursement of $250 by August 1, 2018.  A second disbursement of $250 will be provided to programs after all educational research data have been submitted to the Geo-Interactive project team.  

Funds can be used for food, materials, or faculty time to support implementation of the Geo-Interactive workshop and research. In addition, a site may elect to use these funds to hire a guest speaker, organize field trips or contract a content specialist, to name a few possibilities. These funds need to directly benefit Geo-Interactive objectives by supporting participants and contributing to overall program success.

Thank You

If you have any questions about the Geo-Interactive Research Project or the Mini-Grant Application Process, please don't hesitate to reach out to our Project Team at climate_change@uml.edu.