National Science Foundation RII Track-1 Project:Expanding Research, Education and Innovation in South Dakota
Education, Outreach and Diversity
Providing Education Opportunities for K-12, Undergraduate & Graduate Students
SD EPSCoR promotes and supports educators, research faculty, and programs in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
- Advances in science and engineering are essential for ensuring America’s economic growth and national security. During the next decade, U.S. demand for scientists and engineers is expected to increase at four times the rate for all other occupations. Today’s high school students overall are not performing well in math and science, and fewer of them are pursuing degrees in technical fields.
- Outreach and informal science education activities engage more than 35,000 South Dakota residents per year.
- The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program supports active research participation by undergraduate students in any of the areas of their funded research. REU projects involve students in meaningful ways through ongoing research programs or in research projects specifically designed for the REU program.
Professional Development for K-12 Science Teachers — 2024
South Dakota EPSCoR is offering upcoming teacher workshops. Participants will strengthen their understanding of three-dimensional science teaching and receive support in meeting South Dakota’s K-12 Science Standards.
The learning workshop is face-to-face, using a combination of guided independent learning, collaborative online learning, and hands-on science activities and experiences.
Participants will learn about science and engineering research underway at universities across our state and learned about the newly developed K-12 curriculum modules.
The SD EPSCoR Education Portal
Free curriculum enhancement resources for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) teachers are available to help educators implement inquiry based learning experiences and spark interest in K-12 students to pursue STEM careers.
Diversity
The SD EPSCoR diversity plan represents bold, catalytic, strategic and systemic approaches to recruiting and supporting citizens of all races, ethnicities, nationalities, gender, age, economic status, and sexual orientation within STEM.
Native American Graduate Research Assistantships
The diversity goal of the RII Track-1 project is to develop a diverse STEM-skilled workforce by focusing on increasing the number of Native American and rural students pursuing STEM degrees. Support is available for Native American graduate research assistantships
The Track-1 project supports STEM education and research activities for Native American high school, undergraduate and graduate students. South Dakota is home to nine tribes and three tribal colleges and universities.
Summer Research Institutes — Summer 2023
SD EPSCoR partners conduct Summer Institute experiences for Native American high school and undergraduate students to complete a dual-credit STEM course and participate in a research experience. The 4- to 8-week experiences allow students to work in their community and then visit partner universities to utilize research facilities as part of the research experience.