Ramps into Research Collaboration

An Invitation to Collaborate

We invite Faculty Colleagues whose research programs fall under the umbrella of Science, Technology, Engineering, and/or Math to collaborate in developing learning modules aimed at improving the ramp into research for incoming students. The NSF-funded STEM Center at SHSU is currently supporting faculty collaborators in the Ramps into Research project with $1000 stipends for completion and sharing of a focused student-researcher training module focused on training bright freshman or sophomore undergraduates one key research process or skill. To propose a student-researcher module and apply for the stipend, please choose one of the following ways to apply:

  1. Submit a proposal to add a training module to the RiR hub through an online application: Online Proposal Form 
  2. Submit a proposal to add a training module to the RiR hub through a paper copy. Proposal Submission Form
  3. If one does not already exist, set up a departmental Ramps into Research blackboard organization to house learning modules developed by your department or organization. Link to Request form for setting up a departmental Ramps into Research Organization.

 

STEM Center Ramps into Research Proposal Evaluation Criteria

  1. Does the module hold promise for helping to improve retention in the STEM fields by providing a more effective introduction to research, and by connecting students with research community earlier than would have been possible without the module?
  2. Will the module help the faculty mentor to make more efficient use of their one-on-one training time with students?
  3. Will the module contribute to improved safety for both student researchers and research equipment?
  4. How many students and or faculty are likely to benefit from the training provided by the module?
  5. How well thought out is the proposed development plan for the module?
  6. Will the module strengthen SHSU scholarship?

Disclaimers

Faculty and Departments control access to their contributions to the Ramps into Research collaboration. Providing a training module does not imply obligation to provide access. Control of access to associated resources (faculty members, software, instruments, safety training, fee structure etc.) remains in the hands of the faculty and staff members who author the learning modules.

Ramps-into-Research Blackboard Site 

Once created, departmental and organization sites will be linked to the Ramps into Research Hub. For example, if all COSET departments opted in, each departmental or organization Ramps into Research site would be seamlessly linked to the others via the hub, so that a collaborator from chemistry could navigate from the chemistry site, through the hub to any of the other sites, and vice versa.

 Access to specific resources on a departmental or organizational Ramps into Research “spoke” site is controlled by the collaborators from that department or organization. By using groups in Blackboard, learning module access can be openly shared within the collaboration, or restricted to the audiences the author and department deem appropriate. Individual faculty can set up their own group tab in their departmental site to provide resources specific to their research group. We invite participation from all SHSU departments and organizations who would like to join the Ramps-into-Research collaboration.

Subsequent steps once a proposal is accepted

Collaborate with the STEM Center to answer questions, resolve challenges, and to upload module components into the Ramps into Blackboard pages.

Questions

These guidelines are in development. We welcome your feedback and questions, and encourage you to direct them to the current leadership team for the Ramps into Research Initiative: Dave Thompson (david.thompson@shsu.edu), Tarek Trad (tmt033@shsu.edu), Faruk Yildiz (fxy001@shsu.edu). If for any reason, we do not reply in a timely fashion, please follow up with a call or additional emails. Thank you for your interest in the Ramps into Research Initiative!