Project Summary: The Department of Political Science at the University of North Texas (UNT) runs this unique REU Site program to provide undergraduate students (recruited from across the country, but with special emphasis on underrepresented students in Texas and Oklahoma) the opportunity to engage in graduate-level research in conflict management and peace studies. This is a senior faculty mentored, in-residence, summer research experience that integrates training in civil conflict management with training in computer simulation skills. Participants use computer simulation software to develop theoretical propositions (via exercises in counter-factual research) that are later tested empirically. Participants collect and analyze empirical data and report their findings in a public forum. Activities include workshops on computer simulations, research methodology, and the graduate school application process. There are also activities designed to build a sense of research community among students, faculty and graduate student mentors. At this stage, this is a one-year Pilot phase of the project.
Intellectual Merit: The program explores the causes of civil conflict occurrence (or recurrence) and investigates possible institutional configurations and other types of actions that may assist in ameliorating civil conflict. In particular, the project trains students in counter-factual reasoning, which promotes innovative thinking and problem solving skills. Developing empirical skills to test the theoretical propositions derived from the use of computer simulations also hones the scientific and analytical skills of the student participants.
Broader Impacts: Given the growing frequency of civil conflicts in the world, and the security concerns these conflicts engender for the United States in the 21st century, the development of human capital that is equipped to deal with these challenges is critical for the national security of the country. In particular, training in conflict management that includes populations historically underrepresented in higher education (but which are growing as a proportion of the undergraduate student population) is a national imperative. This program addresses the need to develop further expertise in conflict management by providing opportunities to engage in advanced empirical research to students from such populations, students who would not otherwise have such opportunities. The University of North Texas is well positioned, both institutionally and geographically, to provide this access. To that end, this REU site has secured formal commitments from Hispanic and Native American Serving Institutions and from Historically Black Colleges/ Universities (HBCU) in Texas and Oklahoma to assist in broadening the pool of applicants to the program. However, the program solicits applications from across the country as well, and creates balanced cohorts of undergraduate participants.
In terms of outcomes of our NSF REU grant program, we had several discernable outcomes that relate directly to six project goals mentioned in our grant First, we successfully recruited eight (8) participants for the program (we were only authorized eight so we made 100% target of goal 1). Second, the majority of participants (7 out of 8) were from institutions other than the University of North Texas (thus exceeding the targeted percentage of goal 2). Third, half (four out of eight, or 50%) were from primarily undergraduate institutions that do not offer a Ph.D. in political science (thus exceeding the targeted percentage of goal 3, or 40%). Fourth, all eight students had their work, subject to peer review, published in the Eagle Feather, the refereed student research journal at UNT. Further all eight presented research posters at the Midwest Political Science Association Annual Conference in April 2011 (the MPSA is a major international conference, with about 5000 participants annually). The fifth goal, that 100% of participants would demonstrate improvement in the knowledge of the research process and improvement in research skills, was measured by performance on a pretest/post test listing self assessment of research skills and a pre and post test of whether the participant could correctly identify the essential steps in a political science research project. The average score on the pretest (which asked the participants to self assess their capacities in statistical analysis, familiarity with commonly used data bases; as well as familiarity with research design, hypothesis testing and writing literature reviews) collectively was a 2.5 on average on a five point scale. The post test scores were significantly higher with an average score of 4.5 out of five. Thus all participants indicated improved research skills as the result of the program Further, participants on average could only identity two of the seven major steps of the research process in the initial pretest. At the end of the program, all of the participants could correctly identify all seven major steps. Thus all participants indicated improved knowledge of the research process. It is too early to assess our final goal (that 66% of participants would apply to and gain acceptance in graduate school). However, in the exit interviews, all eight students indicated they now intended to apply to graduate school (as opposed to law school). Although preliminary, this result would indicate that we are likely to exceed the target specified in goal 6 as well. The most important outcomes were the student projects themselves. The table below illustrates the variety of projects and how they related to the research areas of the program. The students not only produced completed projects, but conducted sophisticated empirical analysis as well. Table: List of Student Projects Completed in Summer 2010 Name Project Title Summary Victor Cheung Yin Chan Explanations for Mass Provincial Protest in China Examined what explained mass protests in China from 1990-2008 by province. Used negative binomial regression Joseph S. Jones Regional Peacekeeping in the Developing World: The Conditions that Permit for a Successful Peacekeeping Campaign Assessed effectiveness of regional peacekeeping operations in Africa. Used Logit analysis Eliza Kelly Gender Equality and Post-Conflict Peace Examined the relationship between gender equality and inclusion of women in post conflict governments and peace duration. Used Cox Proportional Hazards analysis Michael Kenwick Ethnicity, Civil War and International Disputes Examined under what conditions ethnic civil wars turn into international conflicts. Used Time Series Cross Sectional Logit analysis Minh Mai The Relationship Between Central Banking Independence and the Onset of Civil Conflicts Examined the relationship between whether central banks were independent and the incidence of civil war. Used Logit analysis. Daniel McGee The Effect of Counterterrorist Policy on Terrorist Success in Western Europe Assessed impact of different European counter terrorist policies on activities of terrorist groups. Used dyads and negative binomial regression Gene Puerta Regional Security Organizations: Factors Behind Peacekeeping Participation Examined question of why states in Africa contributed to regional peace keeping operations. Used Logit analysis and OLS regression. Jacqueline Rojas Globalization and Indigenous Group Violence in Latin America Examined the relationship between globalization, political institutions (such as electoral laws and federalism) and the likelihood that indigenous group in Latin America would engage in violent collective action. Used Logit analysis Finally, it should also be noted that an additional positive outcome of the pilot program was the benefits for the three graduate student mentors. By helping to mentor the REU participants, the graduate student mentors were able to develop skills that will assist them as they prepare to become future faculty members themselves. Not only did they sharpen their own analytical, communication, and research skills (e.g. by having to explain quantitative techniques to the undergraduates) but they truly bonded with the participants and provided positive academic models for the REU students.
