The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) will coordinate the 2007, 2008 and 2009 undergraduate student research conferences for awardees of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Historically Black Colleges and Universities-Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP). The general conference format will include: (a) pre-conference workshops and professional development, as well as poster sessions for faculty and administrators from HBCU focused on curricular innovations in undergraduate education, including strengthening undergraduate research programs and evaluation; and (b) a 2-1/2 day general conference for undergraduate students from HBCUs that will include posters and oral presentations and sessions on applying for and persisting in graduate school or science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) bachelor degree employment. Other conference features will include exhibitors showcasing graduate programs, fellowships, summer undergraduate research programs, and employment opportunities. Development and implementation of each of the conferences will span a 15 month period. The conferences will be planned with advice from a planning committee of HBCU-UP faculty. The final themes for each of the conferences will be decided with the planning committee but will center on strategies to strengthen the STEM research capacity at HBCUs and provide students from HBCUs with the knowledge and skills needed to smoothly transition into the STEM workforce or into graduate programs.
Based on past participation numbers about 800 participants per year are expected: including 425 students, 175 faculty, and 140 exhibitors. Other invitees will include program directors, officers and staff from NSF, other federal agencies and foundations, and representatives from businesses, professional societies, and the media. The conference will also be coordinated with the NSF Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) Program and the Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship Program (IGERT) Recruitment Network. Both the AGEP and IGERT programs seek to broaden participation of underrepresented groups in graduate school and the Ph.D. workforce. The evaluation for each of the conferences will capture actions that participants intend to take immediately after the conference and an online follow-up survey will capture actions that faculty and awardees take three months after the conference. Pre- and post-publicity will be managed by the AAAS Office of Public Programs and products will include a web site and a conference program book with student abstracts will be produced each year.
