A driving principle of GeoPRISMS, and MARGINS before it, was the strong integration of science, education, and outreach. This was manifest through existing programs including the development and archiving of MARGINS Mini-Lessons, the Distinguished Lectureship Program, the Postdoctoral Scholarship Program, the Outstanding Student Prize competition, and the Community and Student Forum at the AGU Fall Meeting.
The GeoPRISMS Science Plan outlined numerous opportunities for enhancing the education and outreach components in the GeoPRISMS Program.
GeoPRISMS proposers had the opportunity to contribute to the education and outreach components of the GeoPRISMS Program through the Broader Impacts section of their proposals. Suggestions to consider about how to enhance and achieve NSF broader impacts included:
- Plan to submit your GeoPRISMS data to the data portal hosted by MGDS (part of IEDA) in a timely manner to efficiently disseminate your data to the scientific community. Also, you can download publicly available data from the data portal to enhance your own research.
- Include the development of mini-lessons in your proposal as a way to expose undergraduate students to your research.
- Invite your students into the GeoPRISMS community, where they can take advantage of many student resources. Examples include:
- Participate in the GeoPRISMS Student and Community Forum at AGU.
- Attend GeoPRISMS workshops, especially ones that include student symposia.
- Apply for the GeoPRISMS Student Prize at AGU.
- Stay informed through the GeoPRISMS listserv.
- Visit our website regularly for updates on these resources and more!
- Consider including support for an REU on a new grant, or applying for a supplement on an existing grant, to involve undergraduates in GeoPRISMS research projects. Undergraduates are encouraged to use all of the resources listed above. PI-sponsored REUs offer an exciting road toward building a GeoPRISMS-wide REU Program, to encourage the participation of upper level undergraduates in GeoPRISMS research programs.
- Apply for a Research Experience for Teachers (RET) Supplement to an existing grant or include one in future proposals. You can receive up to $12,500 per teacher to support their participation in your NSF-funded research project. Encouraging active participation of teachers in NSF projects is an excellent way to strengthen the science expertise of our nation’s educators.