This award is for a Science and Technology Center devoted to the emerging area of nanobiotechnology that involves a close synthesis of nano-microfabrication and biological systems. The Nanobiotechnology Center (NBTC) features a highly interdisciplinary, close collaboration between life scientists, physical scientists, and engineers from Cornell University, Princeton University, Oregon Health Sciences University, and Wadsworth Center of the New York State Health Department. The integrating vision of the NBTC is that nanobiotechnology will be the genesis of new insights into the function of biological systems, and lead to the design of new classes of nano- and microfabricated devices and systems. Biological systems present a particular challenge in that the diversity of materials and chemical systems for biological applications far exceeds those for silicon-based technology in the integrated-circuit industry. New fabrication processes appropriate for biological materials will require a substantial expansion in knowledge about the interface between organic and inorganic systems. The ability to structure materials and pattern surface chemistry at small dimensions ranging from the molecular to cellular scale are the fundamental technologies on which the research of the NBTC is based. Nanofabrication can also be used to form new analytical probes for interrogating biological systems with unprecedented spatial resolution and sensitivity. Three unifying technology platforms that foster advances in materials, processes, and tools underlie and support the research programs of the NBTC: Molecules of nanobiotechnology; Novel methods of patterning surfaces for attachment of molecules and cells to substrates; and Sensors and devices for nanobiotechnology. Newly developed fabrication capabilities will also be available through the extensive resources of the Cornell Nanofabrication Facility, a site of the NSF National Nanofabrication Users Network. The NBTC will be an integrated part of the educational missions of the participating institutions. NBTC faculty will develop a new cornerstone graduate course in nanobiotechnology featuring nanofabrication with an emphasis on biological applications. Graduate students who enter the NBTC from a background in engineering or biology will cross-train in the other field by engaging in a significant level of complementary course work. Participation in the NBTC will prepare them with the disciplinary depth and cross-disciplinary understanding to become next generation leaders in this emerging field. An undergraduate research experience program with a strong mentoring structure will be established, with emphasis on recruiting women and underrepresented minorities into the program. Educational outreach activities are planned to stimulate the interest of students of all ages. One such activity partnered with the Science center in Ithaca is a traveling exhibition for museum showings on the subject of nano scale size. National and federal laboratories and industrial and other partners will participate in various aspects of the NBTC such as by hosting interns, attendance at symposia and scientist exchanges. Partnering with the industrial affiliates will be emphasized to enhance knowledge transfer and student and postdoctoral training. This specific STC award is managed by the Directorate for Engineering in coordination with the Directorates for Biological Sciences, Mathematical and Physical Sciences, and Education and Human Resources.
The National Center for Earth-surface Dynamics (NCED) is a Science and Technology Center focused on understanding the processes that shape the Earth's surface, and on communicating that understanding with a broad range of stakeholders. NCED's work will support a larger, community-based effort to develop a suite of quantitative models of the Earth's surface: a Community Sediment Model (CSM). Results of the NCED-CSM collaboration will be used for both short-term prediction of surface response to natural and anthropogenic change and long-term interpretation of how past conditions are recorded in landscapes and sedimentary strata. This will in turn help solve pressing societal problems such as estimation and mitigation of landscape-related risk; responsible management of landscape resources including forests, agricultural, and recreational areas; forecasting landscape response to possible climatic and other changes; and wise development of resources like groundwater and hydrocarbons that are hosted in buried sediments. NCED education and knowledge transfer programs include exhibits and educational programs at the Science Museum of Minnesota, internships and programs for students from tribal colleges and other underrepresented populations, and research opportunities for participants from outside core NCED institutions. The Earth's surface is the dynamic interface among the lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and atmosphere. It is intimately interwoven with the life that inhabits it. Surface processes span environments ranging from high mountains to the deep ocean and time scales from fractions of a second to millions of years. Because of this range in forms, processes, and scales, the study of surface dynamics has involved many disciplines and approaches. A major goal of NCED is to foster the development of a unified, quantitative science of Earth-surface dynamics that combines efforts in geomorphology, civil engineering, biology, sedimentary geology, oceanography, and geophysics. Our research program has four major themes: (1) landscape evolution, (2) basin evolution, (3) biological sediment dynamics, and (4) integration of morphodynamic processes across environments and scales. Each theme area provides opportunities for exchange of information and ideas with a wide range of stakeholders, including teachers and learners at all levels; researchers, managers, and policy makers in both the commercial and public sectors; and the general public.
DATE:
-
TEAM MEMBERS:
Efi Foufoula-GeorgiouChristopher PaolaGary Parker
The Minnesota Children's Museum, in collaboration with the American Library Association will develop a project to engage children ages two through seven years old and their parents in exploring mathematics through hands-on, book-based math activities in libraries and children's museums across the country. The main elements of the project are: 1. A 1200 square foot exhibit at the Minnesota Children's Museum; 2. A traveling exhibit to ten children's museums over a six month period; 3. Five smaller versions of the exhibit will travel to 75 libraries sponsored by the American Library Association. Each library that apply for the exhibit must present a plan in which 50 percent of their exhibit audience will be children and families of the under-represented, lower income groups, and racial and/or ethnic groups. 4. Programs and materials will be designed to provide parents with the means to actively participate in their children's math education. The collaboration of the Minnesota Children's Museum and the American Library Association draws together two organizations whose natural constituencies are parents with young children. Project 1,2,3 is designed to be national in scope and creates multiple formats within which families can enjoy exploring math. Its goals and objectives reflect four messages: start early, math is everywhere, parental involvement and get into books. The project Principal Investigator (PI) Ms. Jeanne W. Vergeront received her Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Science in Child and Family Studies and Environmental Design, respectively from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Currently, she serves as the Vice President, Educational Projects at the Minnesota Children's Museum in St. Paul, Minnesota.
The Science Museum of Minnesota (SMM) will develop Window on Catalhoyuk: An Archaeological Work in Progress. The project will include a 4,500 sq. ft. exhibit, a World Wide Web site, an exhibit cookbook for archaeology interactives developed for the exhibit, and a suite of related classroom activities. Catalhoyuk is currently the most important archaeological site in Turkey and among the most significant cultural heritage monuments in the world. It consists of two mounds located on either side of an ancient river channel. The larger mound has Early Neolithic age occupation levels (9000 and 7500 years ago) and represents one of the largest known Neolithic settlements, holding links to the beginnings of agriculture, animal domestication, and the rise of urban complexity. The smaller mound consists of more recent occupations (7500 to 5000 years ago). Together they may record nearly 10,000 years of human occupation. SMM has been a partner, along with the Turkish team, in the Catalhoyuk Research Project since its inception in 1993 and has the responsibility of developing public programs and for bringing the research findings before a worldwide audience. Unlike a traditional approach where the results of archaeological research appear years after the excavations, this project will focus on the process of archaeology giving visitors the opportunity of learning about the workings of contemporary archaeology and the nature of scientific inquiry, along with the important insight into the beginning of Mediterranean civilization. The exhibit will be updated annually for two years to reflect new results of ongoing fieldwork. The project addresses the National Science Education Standards, particularly those related to science as inquiry and to the history and nature of science.
DATE:
-
TEAM MEMBERS:
Donald PohlmanNatalie RuskOrrin Shane
The Exploratorium will develop an exhibition entitled " Traits of Life: Exploratory Exhibits in the Life Sciences". There will be two versions. The first will be a 4,500 sq.-ft. exhibit that will include about 35 life science interactive modules and will be installed at the Exploratorium. Following an evaluation period, about 20 of the exhibits will be used for a 3,000 sq.-ft. traveling version of the exhibition. The Association of Science and Technology Centers will manage the circulation of the exhibition. Challenging visitors to consider the question "What is Life?" this exhibition will be designed to offer learners new ways to explore characteristics shared by all living things. Three traits have been selected to illustrate the characteristics common to all living things: a shared molecular and cellular structure, self-reproduction, and adaptation to surroundings. These traits will be reflected in three sections of the exhibit: "A Common Design", "Passing It On" and "Staying Alive". Complementary elements include artists-in-residence, scientists-in-residence, teacher institutes, student materials, web-based activities, public programs and publications. Project staff will attempt to develop an understanding of techniques that are most successful in stimulating learning about life science in informal settings.
The Science Museum of Minnesota will develop "Investigations in Cell Biology," an integrated program that introduces cell, microbiology, and molecular biology to museum audiences through open-access, wet-lab, micro-experiment benches; training and support for school teachers; classes for adults and teens; and a long-term program for local high school youth. The project includes the development, testing, and installation of four micro-experiment benches that introduce visitors to the objectives, tools, and techniques of cell biology experimentation. These benches,"Inside the Cell," "Testing for DNA," "DNA Profile," and "Microbe Control," will be part of "Cell Lab," a 1,500 square-foot open experiment area within the science museum's new core exhibition, "The Human Body," opening December 1999.
DATE:
-
TEAM MEMBERS:
Laurie Kleinbaum FinkSusan FlemingJ Newlin
The Museum of Science in Boston will develop exhibits and programs for visitors to use models as tools for understanding the world around them. It is the 4th stage of a six-part, long-range vision and plan that focuses on comprehending science as a way of thinking and doing. "Making Models" will serve over one million visitors per year, mostly families and school groups. The models to be featured include physical, biological, conceptual, mathematical, and computer simulation models. Four (4) specific science inquiry skills will be stressed, which are associated with making and using models: recognition of similarities, assessment of limitations, communication of ideas, and the creation of one's own models for developing personal understanding and appreciation of the world in which we live. In tandem with this new exhibit, some current exhibits and programs will be modified to meet these modeling goals. Demonstrating the application of these new exhibit techniques for other museums and science centers, and evaluating how visitors learn in this setting will also be performed, with the results disseminated on a national level. The Museum will collaborate with two (2) other nationally known sites in this development and evaluation of exhibit components, creation of new teacher development programs, and the development of models-related web resources.
DATE:
-
TEAM MEMBERS:
Douglas SmithLarry BellPaul Fontiane
The Exploratorium will design, build and travel an exhibition on human memory called "Memory: A Traveling Exhibition." This 3,000-square-foot exhibition will approach human memory from biological, cognitive, personal and cultural perspectives. "Memory: A Traveling Exhibition" will be a smaller, moveable version of a successful exhibition at the Exploratorium in 1998. A recent boom in scientific research dealing with memory has generated a corresponding need for science centers to inform the public about the nature and significance of findings. This exhibition will be designed to increase the public's awareness of the extent, importance and nature of their memories, as well as their understanding of how cognitive scientists study the mind. The exhibition will travel to science centers across the nation.
DATE:
-
TEAM MEMBERS:
Michael PearceKathleen McLeanJoe Hastings
The North Carolina Museum of Life & Science requests $627,003 (54.6% of a total $1,148,397 project budget) to develop "Mathematics=Easy as Pi." This will be a three-year statewide project from the North Carolina Museum of Life and Science on behalf of the 15 member museums of The North Carolina Grassroots Science Museum Collaborative to develop and implement programs and exhibits that will assist families, children and teachers to understand and appreciate mathematics. The components are a public celebration of mathematics name Pi day that will be held in 15 museums on March 14th of each year, teacher professional development workshops, 12 hands-on tabletop exhibits for 13 museums, and a Sharing math guide for use by families and children. This initiative will serve more than 2.7 million young people and adults in North Carolina over the initial three-year project. The materials will have continued usage beyond the project timeframe.
The Education Development Center, Incorporated, requests $2,081,018 to create informal learning opportunities in science, mathematics, engineering and technology utilizing the study of the ancient African civilization of Nubia as context. Educational activities and resources will be developed based on the extensive ongoing archeological research on historical Nubia. The two main components of the project are a traveling exhibit with related educational materials and a website that will provide the target audience an opportunity to access extensive on-line resources and activities. The project will provide community outreach and professional development for educators in museums, community groups, schools and libraries. The project is designed for thirty-six months' duration. In year one, a network of collaborators in the Boston area will focus on research and development; in year two, project materials will be piloted and evaluated in six cities, and on-line professional development programs will be conducted; and in year three, project materials will be disseminated directly to 60 sites and more broadly via the internet.
The Montshire Museum of Science, on behalf of the TEAMS Collaborative, will develop "TEAMS Traveling Exhibit Collaborative." Four charter members of the TEAMS collaborative, a partnership that includes the Monthshire Museum of Science, Norwich, VT; the Catawba Science Center, Hickory, NC; the ScienCenter, Ithaca, NY; and the Discovery Center Museum, Rockford, IL, request funding to expand the collaborative by incorporating three new museum partners. They will develop, evaluate, and produce two copies each of four 1500-square foot traveling exhibitions. Each TEAMS exhibition will be accompanied by maintenance manuals, teacher's guides, and program materials for community science events. Three charter museums will mentor the three new museum members, which include the Health Adventure in Asheville, NC; the Rochester Museum and Science Center in Rochester, NY; and the Family Museum of Arts and Science in Bettendorf, IA. The four new exhibit topics being proposed by the collaborative are Sound Slices, The Body as a Machine, The Physics of Motion, and The Science of Sports.
DATE:
-
TEAM MEMBERS:
David GoudyCharles TrautmannSarah WolfMark SinclairCatherine McCarthy
The Science Museum of Minnesota would like to create a network of partnerships between the museum and small community-based science organizations (CBSOs). CBSOs will receive professional development workshops to increase their capacity to produce high quality exhibits and publications and offer effective science programming. A team from each science organization will participate in a 12-hour skills development workshop to cover such topics as exhibit development, audience research, science communication and program development. A workshop "tool kit" will capture the essence of the training workshops and be made available to other museums. Each team will develop a small traveling exhibit and supporting materials. Annual Science Summit programs will showcase the CBSOs to the general public, museum visitors and students, while a CBSO Roundtable will invite the participants to explore collaborations and programming strategies. An online database will be created and a complimentary printed resource guide of all local CBSOs will be available to the public. The model will be tested at two small science centers, the Kirby Science Discovery Center in Sioux Falls, SD, and at the Headwaters Science Center in Bemidji, MN. It is anticipated that 72 organizations and 450 CBSO staff members will be served by this project, in addition to over 5,000 members of the general public.