In September, the National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a five-year $20 million grant to the South Dakota Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (SD EPSCoR) and the South Dakota Board of Regents. The project, titled “Beyond the 2020 Vision: Building Research, Education and Innovation Partnerships for South Dakota,” will not only advance the study of biofilms in the state, but also spur the development of statewide science education and workforce development infrastructure.
“Sanford Lab’s E&O team will develop the model for teacher professional development and the curriculum modules. This team has proven experience developing high-quality training and materials. Our goal is to take the model they’ve used and apply it to the science of biofilms to connect the education component to the , research this grant supports.”
As part of the grant, teacher workshops will be conducted at six locations throughout South Dakota each summer with a goal to support hundreds of K-12 teachers in providing tens of thousands of students with engaging hands-on science experiences over the next five years.
Read the full article from Rapid City Journal here.