The Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS), in collaboration with the All-Nations and the Pacific Consortia of the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP), requests funding to enhance the research skills and knowledge of Native American and Pacific Islander undergraduate students in tropical biology. The proposed program will take place at the OTS Las Cruces Biological Station in Costa Rica, an important research station in the Neotropics and a major OTS center for hands-on training in field-oriented research. The goal of the Native American and Pacific Islander program is to provide an intensive field research experience for Native American and Pacific Islander undergraduate students. The program is structured around a four-week stay in Costa Rica and Panama, during which the participants will conduct research at OTS Las Cruces Biological Station, among other sites, and visit three indigenous communities. The focus of the program is the development of the students interest in biology and their capacity to conduct independent field research. Intellectual Merit The strength of the program lies in engaging Native American and Pacific Islander students in pure and applied biological research, while introducing them to the biodiversity, cultural diversity and community-based conservation issues of the tropics. Under the guidance of the program staff and faculty mentors, the students will complete high quality research projects designed to sharpen their technical skills and enrich their professional development. In addition, by providing a broad range of scientific perspectives and research experiences, the students will gain a sense of career awareness to clarify and direct their future academic life. Project objectives 1. Introduce Native American and Pacific Islander students to the biodiversity of the tropics. 2. Help students analyze the role that Native Peoples in the Neotropics play in forest conservation and, by extension, examine the role of conservation in their own communities. 3. Train students in the scientific method and in field research techniques. 4. Develop the students research abilities by conducting guided field research projects. 5. Encourage and facilitate the enrollment of these students in other field oriented biology programs, such as REUs and OTS undergraduate and graduate programs. 6. Enhance the interest and commitment of the students in pursuing a science career by providing a unique and inspiring research experience. 7. Provide the faculty mentors with tropical field research training to enhance their ability to encourage and support students at their home institutions. Broader Impacts This program is designed to impact the academic and professional development of Native American and Pacific Islanders students by providing a broad range of scientific and research skills to improve their academic competitiveness at the undergraduate and graduate levels and to encourage them to pursue careers in the environmental and biological sciences.
