A National Science Foundation grant will help Minot State University increase STEM research literacy in rural populations with limited STEM opportunities.

The previously announced grant of $480,000 to MSU is part of a statewide $7.96 million grant over four years from the foundation. Partnering institutions with the North Dakota Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (ND EPSCoR) were approved for the award for their Sustainable Programs Advancing Research and Knowledge across North Dakota (SPARK-ND).

SPARK-ND aims to build a sustainable science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) research and education ecosystem in North Dakota. Led by North Dakota State University, 10 colleges and universities in North Dakota will collaborate to expand STEM research capacity in the state, connect research communities, build STEM research literacy in rural populations and strengthen the STEM community at the five tribal colleges and universities in North Dakota.

Key components the STEM Pathways Core at Minot State include:

– Scientist in the classroom: This new program will bring Minot State STEM faculty into middle and high school classrooms to demonstrate engaging and interactive STEM projects and technologies. These activities will help students understand the importance of STEM and its relevance to their communities.

– Research shadow: Middle and high school students will have opportunities to observe authentic scientific research at MSU and research field sites, inspiring future STEM careers.

– Research experiences for high school students: High school students will engage in authentic research alongside Minot State faculty, fostering STEM interest and developing research skills during their projects while paying them for their research time.

– Academic year research experiences: This program will expand undergraduate research opportunities at MSU, allowing students to engage in year-long research projects co-developed with STEM faculty.

The principal investigator for the project at Minot State is Joe Collette, professor of geosciences, with co-principal investigator Nigel George, professor of physics.

“Some folks in rural areas of North Dakota think being a scientist or being employed in a STEM-related field means you have to move away from your hometown,” Collette said in a news release. “That’s absolutely not the case. These STEM careers are everywhere. GPS-enabled combines are already part of agriculture in North Dakota. Drone-based applications are coming online at a staggering pace. Not only can you do practical things like detect warm or cold spots on buildings and add more insulation, but we can also do things like census animal populations, estimate crop yields and determine where the weeds in a particular field might need to be sprayed. Drones are even doing remote spraying of weeds.”.

He added these science- and STEM-based career pathways will only become more in-demand in rural areas in the next few years.