Environmental Neuroscience for All: A participatory science program and platform for students, teachers, scientists, and communities
Project Number5R25MH135446-02
Former Number1R25GM150157-01
Contact PI/Project LeaderDIKKER, SUZANNE Other PIs
Awardee OrganizationNEW YORK UNIVERSITY
Description
Abstract Text
PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Environmental Neuroscience for All uses a combination of online and in-person tools and an open science
approach to support high school students in carrying out their own original research projects focusing on
environmental neuroscience, a fast-growing field of research at the intersection of behavioral science and more
‘traditional’ STEM fields that recognizes the critical role of human brain and behavioral science in better
understanding the impact that the environment has on humans, and the impact that humans have on our
environment. How is our brain health and wellbeing affected by our environment? Can we improve how we
interact with our environment by deepening our understanding of how the human brain is wired? Together with
scientists and their teachers and communities, students will explore these and other questions about the multi-
directional relationship between the human brain, human behavior, and our environment. We will build on the
technology, content, and network of schools and community partners created through our SEPA project
BrainWaves and our community science platform MindHive. We will develop curriculum materials and tools
grounded in open science practices, which represent a shift away from narrower, more traditional views of the
“scientific method,” toward a collaborative and iterative approach to science inquiry. We will also build out an
online platform with tools that support collaborative study ideation, peer feedback, data collection and
engagement, and communication. Students will learn how to formulate research questions and translate them
into testable hypotheses; design, review, and revise environmental neuroscience studies; and collect, analyze,
and communicate research findings. Together, the curriculum materials and web-based platform will support
authentic community science research spearheaded by teens in a network of environmental neuroscientists,
community organizations, and student peers - both locally and nationwide, and both in-person and online. In
sum, Environmental Neuroscience for All will connect geographically and socio-economically diverse learners
and communities; and in doing so create pathways toward more transparent, accessible, and inclusive
environmental science. As such, the project will not only help further integrate human brain and behavioral
science, an increasingly relevant STEM field, into preK-12 science curricula, but will also educate a new
generation of scientists in open science principles, building the foundations for a STEM workforce that
approaches environmental challenges as a collective, interdisciplinary effort.
Public Health Relevance Statement
PROJECT NARRATIVE
Environmental Neuroscience for All will combine online and in-person tools to support authentic research
experiences for socio-culturally diverse student teams from both urban and rural schools across the US, who
will work with scientists and civic partners to design studies that explore the relationship between our brains
and our environment (How is our brain health and wellbeing affected by our environment? Can we help
improve how we behave toward our environment by deepening our understanding of how the human brain is
wired?). The curriculum, paired with an online collaboration platform and professional development materials,
will cover topics that are tightly linked to NIH-funded research (How do environmental factors affect brain
health? How might behavioral science contribute to public health policy?). Moreover, the program uses an
“open science” and participatory science approach, training the next generation of scientists and citizens to
view environmental challenges not just as barriers, but as opportunities for research, innovation, and
collaboration.
NIH Spending Category
No NIH Spending Category available.
Project Terms
AffectBehaviorBehavioral SciencesBrainCase StudyCollaborationsCommunicationCommunitiesConsumptionData AnalysesData CollectionDevelopmentDistance LearningEducationEducational CurriculumEducational process of instructingEnvironmentEnvironmental Risk FactorEnvironmental ScienceEthicsFamiliarityFeedbackFoundationsFundingGenerationsGeographyHealth PolicyHigh School StudentHumanHybridsKnowledgeLearningLinkMediationMentorsMentorshipMethodsMolecular BiologyMultimediaNeurosciencesNeurosciences ResearchParticipantPathway interactionsPeer GroupPeer ReviewPersonal SatisfactionPersonsPlayPublic HealthResearchResearch DesignResearch MethodologyResearch Project GrantsRoleRuralSTEM careerSTEM fieldSchoolsScienceScientistStudentsTechnologyTeenagersTimeTrainingTranslatingUnited States National Institutes of HealthWorkbrain healthcitizen sciencecognitive neurosciencecommunity organizationscommunity partnerscommunity sciencedata communicationdesignexperienceflexibilityhigh schoolideationimprovedinnovationliteracymeetingsnext generationopen datapeerprogramsresearch studyrole modelsocialsocial culturesocial neurosciencesocioeconomicssupport toolsteachertoolvirtualweb platform
No Sub Projects information available for 5R25MH135446-02
Publications
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Patents
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Outcomes
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Clinical Studies
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History
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