The Plant Science for Global Food Security (PSGFS) program is a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded international summer research experience for undergraduate students led by Purdue University...
Listed in Reports/White Papers
Version 1.0 - published on 29 Apr 2023
Licensed under CC0 - Creative Commons
This research was funded by the 2021 CILMAR Seed Grant.
The Plant Science for Global Food Security (PSGFS) program is a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded international summer research experience for undergraduate students led by Purdue University. U.S. students travel to the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines for a 6-week summer program that includes a 3-week research experience in rice science with individual scientific laboratories coupled with a 3-week course in international rice research. Prior to implementation of Year 1 on the project, the principal investigators of PSGFS partnered with Purdue Evaluation and Learning Center (ELRC) to gauge the impact of this international research experience on intercultural awareness and career objectives of the participants. Results of that short study are presented in this white paper. The study was designed to capture how participants made sense of their international experience at different stages in the program and provide a snapshot of knowledge, skills, and attitudes pertaining to different cultures. ELRC gathered data from program participants before, during, and after completing the six-week program in the Philippines in the summer 2022 using a self-assessment tool to explore individual cultural competence. Pre-program results indicated a high degree of confidence among participating students while post-program confirmed students’ self- perceptions of high scores while simultaneously indicating growth in each of the three areas of interest (cultural awareness, skills, and attitude).
If you are interested in applying for the CILMAR Seed Grant, information can be found here: https://purdue.edu/ippu/cilmar/research/seed-grants.html. Applicants should be employed and/or pursuing a course of study at Purdue University’s West Lafayette campus.
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