tunities in geobiology, climate science, and other interdisciplinary fields.
Broadening Involvement in Active Research
Many investigators are interested in involving students and teachers in their
research, and most are enthusiastic about sharing their results with the broader
community. The Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program and
the Science and Technology Centers help to involve undergraduates in research
projects led by individual investigators and consortia. This approach should be
expanded to allow greater involvement of others, such as secondary school
students and K-12 teachers. The success of the REU program demonstrates that
research by undergraduates can contribute to basic science, particularly in fieldbased studies. Creative projects benefit participants and carry science to the
broader community in ways that conventional outreach programs might not.
Field-Focused Opportunities
Field work is a fundamental and distinctive aspect of the Earth sciences. It
provides the basis for understanding a variety of Earth processes and for
validating and calibrating model, laboratory, and remote-sensing results. In
addition, field work stimulates students from many backgrounds and helps them
develop an appreciation for basic and applied problems in Earth science.
Throughout the United States, field sites in many settings—urban, rural, and
wilderness—are readily accessible, and many types of field projects can be done
at relatively low cost. Thus, field work producing high-quality research data can
be sponsored by junior colleges and undergraduate institutions, as well as by
research universities.
Field work is currently funded under the relevant core research programs
through the normal competitive grant process. However, this route is not
generally suitable for student-oriented field projects, even for graduate students.
In theory, field work for students could be funded through the REU and Research
in Undergraduate Institutions programs, although neither explicitly includes a
field component. EAR could also seek other mechanisms for supplementing this
small-science endeavor. Field programs at other agencies, such as the USGS and
USDA summer intern programs or the Educational Component of the National
Mapping Program, could serve as alternative models for establishing and funding
graduate and undergraduate field programs. The Earth Science Natural
Laboratories recommended by the
FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
115
About this PDF file: This new digital representation of the
original work has been recomposed from XML files created
from the original paper book, not from the original
typesetting files. Page breaks are true to the original; line lengths,
word breaks, heading styles, and other typesetting-specific
formatting, however, cannot be retained,
and some typographic errors may have been accidentally inserted.
Please use the print version of this publication as the authoritative
version for attribution.
Broadening Involvement in Active Research
Many investigators are interested in involving students and teachers in their
research, and most are enthusiastic about sharing their results with the broader
community. The Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program and
the Science and Technology Centers help to involve undergraduates in research
projects led by individual investigators and consortia. This approach should be
expanded to allow greater involvement of others, such as secondary school
students and K-12 teachers. The success of the REU program demonstrates that
research by undergraduates can contribute to basic science, particularly in fieldbased studies. Creative projects benefit participants and carry science to the
broader community in ways that conventional outreach programs might not.
Field-Focused Opportunities
Field work is a fundamental and distinctive aspect of the Earth sciences. It
provides the basis for understanding a variety of Earth processes and for
validating and calibrating model, laboratory, and remote-sensing results. In
addition, field work stimulates students from many backgrounds and helps them
develop an appreciation for basic and applied problems in Earth science.
Throughout the United States, field sites in many settings—urban, rural, and
wilderness—are readily accessible, and many types of field projects can be done
at relatively low cost. Thus, field work producing high-quality research data can
be sponsored by junior colleges and undergraduate institutions, as well as by
research universities.
Field work is currently funded under the relevant core research programs
through the normal competitive grant process. However, this route is not
generally suitable for student-oriented field projects, even for graduate students.
In theory, field work for students could be funded through the REU and Research
in Undergraduate Institutions programs, although neither explicitly includes a
field component. EAR could also seek other mechanisms for supplementing this
small-science endeavor. Field programs at other agencies, such as the USGS and
USDA summer intern programs or the Educational Component of the National
Mapping Program, could serve as alternative models for establishing and funding
graduate and undergraduate field programs. The Earth Science Natural
Laboratories recommended by the
FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
115
About this PDF file: This new digital representation of the
original work has been recomposed from XML files created
from the original paper book, not from the original
typesetting files. Page breaks are true to the original; line lengths,
word breaks, heading styles, and other typesetting-specific
formatting, however, cannot be retained,
and some typographic errors may have been accidentally inserted.
Please use the print version of this publication as the authoritative
version for attribution.