This project represents an enhancement of a previously funded (2010-12) REU Site program with the thematic focus on Undergraduate Studies into the Social Psychophysiology of Compassion (SPC) in the Department of Psychology at the Northern Arizona University. It builds upon a successful legacy of this university's prior REU Site by providing research experiences for 8 Native American, Hispanic, African American, Native Alaskan, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander students, including first generation college/university students who are disabled, female, White, and Veterans. Each student conducts research focused on Compassion, under guidance of active Psychology Department researchers. The PI-team continues the previously successful program with significant improvements and an increased recruitment of primarily Native American community college students.
Intellectual Merit: This research internship addresses 8 important intellectual components: (1) Direct, closely supervised, hands-on original research experiences in individual faculty laboratories provided by an experienced, productive, and stimulating faculty research mentor, (2) Faculty seminars on various aspects of scientific research, (3) Professional, educational, cultural, and career development seminars, (4) Weekly noon science symposia, (5) A variety of unique educational, cultural, environmental, and social activities, (6) Student presentations at a local professional REU conference, (7) Presentation of research outcomes at national professional conferences, and (8) Co-participation of Psychology REU students with REU students from other programs in seminars, lectures, and local research presentations. Students thus participate collegially in original and pioneering compassion research.
Broader Impacts: This program has far-reaching implications for both the expansion of scientific thinking and inquiry and the advancement of society. (1) Direct recruitment of underrepresented minority students via live campus visits and presentations, innovative college liaisons toward increased engagement of underserved minorities in research, and onsite research and educational collaborations of minority students and faculty greatly broadens participation of under-represented minorities in social science research. Tangible research outcomes, student presentations at professional meetings, research mentoring, and collegial group sharing of the research process developed over a 10-week summer session and continuing into the AY give each student a sense of ownership in a scientific project and process, and a personalization of the experience to facilitate continued careers in science. (2) Intensive collaboration with dedicated career academic researchers and teaching during weekly seminars by undergraduate students from diverse cultural backgrounds is very likely to instill a lasting excitement for science in general and for the SPC specialty areas in particular, thus advancing creative discovery while simultaneously promoting cross-fertilization of scientific exploration, knowledge acquisition, skills training, and a commitment to the art of teaching and research. (3) Utilization of existing educational training facilities for summer internships enhances the university?s research and educational infrastructure. (4) Participation of interns and mentors in interdisciplinary seminars, workshops, research, education, and national conferences broadens dissemination and enhances interdisciplinary scientific understanding. (5) The proposed innovative and comprehensive analysis of this REU program allows for a yearly evaluation and fine-tuning to better achieve objectives and to improve the future identification, training, and development of behavioral research scientists in this country. Most importantly, and perhaps most uniquely for our program, (6) the research projects and thematic focus on compassion offer important answers to probing societal questions and ultimate benefits to society, and, we hope, the development of a generation of young researchers whose careers are dedicated to the understanding and creation of the expression of compassion, the easing of suffering of others, and the promotion of a more compassionate world.
