This award is to University of Oklahoma to support the activity described below for 36 months. The proposal was submitted in response to the Partnerships for Innovation Program Solicitation (NSF-05566).
Partners The partners include University of Oklahoma, K20 Center (lead institution) (which itself represents an innovative and collaborative statewide infrastructure and there are also explicit partnership relationships with Health Sciences Center, the Graduate College, the College of Geosciences, and the Department of Botany and Microbiology); Ardmore City Schools; Byng High School; Research Experience for Undergraduates at the Oklahoma Weather Center; George Mason University (Fairfax, VA); Presbyterian Health Foundation; Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation; The Noble Foundation; Norman Economic Development Coalition; National Severe Storms Laboratory; Oklahoma Climatological Survey; First Lady Kim Henry, Governors Office, State of Oklahoma; Weather Decision Technologies; Inc.; Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education; Vieux and Associates; Weathernews Americas; Pure Protein, LLC; Bio-Cide International, Inc.
The primary objective of the proposal follows. In responding to state and national needs to improve health, education, and the environment and to stimulate innovation and economic growth, the Advancing Biotechnology and Climatology (ABC) initiative has developed a two-pronged approach, seeking to develop 1) the new Institute for Biotechnology Partnerships (IBP) and 2) two model high schools that stimulate the transformation of knowledge created by the biotechnology and climatology industries to enhance K-12 education.
The intellectual merit of the project follows. Operating from the premise that organizations are complex adaptive systems, this proposal seeks to embark on the learning/unlearning process inherent in the work of innovative change. The proposed team effort involves and positions a broad base of talented, qualified stakeholders in a process of action research and learning. By leveraging the often-isolated pockets of resources and infrastructures in the targeted science fields, the two-pronged approach provides a coherent focus to the process, aimed at establishing substantive, systemic groundwork to more efficiently ensure that the understandings of science will have an impact the quality of life for the broader community. Strategies will emerge and evolve from the exchange of ideas and creation of innovative approaches across a varied array of participants in education, research, government and industry and infra, thereby strengthening the impact of the proposals outcomes.
The broader impact of the activity follows. ABC will have direct impact on low income, rural schools serving diverse populations and broad impact by creating a transferable model to increase the capacity of biotechnology and climatology. ABC seeks to (1) prepare and produce a science and technology literate workforce and citizenry, especially across rural regions; (2) facilitate the inclusion of underrepresented rural students and Native Americans in science and technology research; and, (3) educate students about science and innovations that impact public policy so that they are better informed for roles within our democracy. The dissemination plan of the model ensures national and international replication in similar rural contexts. Thus an infrastructure for networking to support regional economic growth will be created. This development of structures is designed to help biotechnology research and industry learn from the highly successful climatology industry and take advantage of a timely opportunity for growth and change in both sciences.
