Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research Hawai'i
Outreach, Education and Human Resource Development
The objective of the IMUA NSF Hawaii EPSCoR Outreach, Education and Human Resources Development (OEHRD) component is to enhance ties and forge partnerships between the University of Hawaii and the local business community. Implementing innovative human capital programs that can expand and diversify Hawaii's technologically-skilled workforce will:
- Promote collaborative education, research, and development activities;
- Augment technology transfer and commercialization; and
- Expand and diversify workforce development and training activities statewide, with an emphasis on programs that stimulate interest and promote skills in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) disciplines.
IMUA NSF Hawaii EPSCoR and its partner, the Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT), are taking the opportunity to play a dominant role in strengthening Hawaii's future science and technical workforce by:
- Implementing innovative human resources development programs;
- Promoting collaborative research and development activities;
- Augmenting technology transfer and commercialization; and
- Expanding and diversifying STEM workforce development and training activities statewide.
Strengthening and developing STEM programs enables students across Hawaii to have better opportunities when entering Hawaii's evolving workforce. STEM programs provide Skills That Excite, Empower, and Employ Me! There are currently several efforts being employed throughout the UH system that will be made more effective for both students and the state through the connections IMUA II provides.
In support of these goals, five types of innovation programs are being developed:
- University-Industry Forums
- Technology Innovation Workshops
- Student Internship, Mentorship and Certification Programs
- Career Pathing Activities
- Community Outreach/Public Education Projects
The OEHRD Focal Area supports proven education and human resource development initiatives with strong potential for promoting the development of a Hawaii-based workforce that is scientifically and technologically proficient. This is done by building avenues for STEM students to enter the workforce. There are currently several efforts throughout the UH system that will be made all the more successful and efficient for both students and the state as a whole through the connections this IMUA II effort will provide. Examples of current programs include:
Master of Science Program in Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science (TCBES) http://www2.hawaii.edu/~tcbes/
TCBES is a well established program involving 30 faculty, 41 affiliated faculty mentoring more than 40 graduate students. As a multidisciplinary, multi-college program, TCBES encourages and facilitates sustained collaboration across the research areas of ecological and evolutionary genetics, ecosystems analyses and responses to environmental change, cyberinfrastructure for environmental research and geospatial analyses.
Pacific Internships for Exploring Science (PIPES) http://www.uhh.hawaii.edu/uhintern
PIPES is a university level program housed within the Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resources Center at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. PIPES is committed to increasing the recruitment and retention of local students, especially those of Native Hawaiian ancestry, into fields of study, and ultimately careers, related to the natural resources of Hawai'i and the Pacific region through .
Islands of Opportunity Alliance-LSAMP http://www.uhh.hawaii.edu/affiliates/ioalsamp
The Islands of Opportunity Alliance-LSAMP Program was formed in 2006 and is funded by the National Science Foundation's Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program. The University of Hawaii at Hilo (UH Hilo) is the lead institution and works collaboratively with 19 other institutions throughout Hawaii and the Pacific to increase the overall number of underrepresented students receiving bachelor degrees in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
