APL SURP

This proposal addresses the need to engage STEM students in Navy-centric educational opportunities in order to develop pathways to the Department of the Navy’s current and future workforce. The geosciences, and oceanography in particular, have been shown to have significant issues with retention and promotion in academic and research positions. Undergraduate internships can be especially effective in directing students to pursue new career paths because the participants tend to be eager to learn, open to new opportunities, and uncertain of their direction. APL-UW’s extensive and wide-ranging research programs can provide stimulating and life-changing experiences that broaden education beyond the classroom and motivate students to pursue STEM careers with Navy relevance.The APL Summer Undergraduate Reseach Program (APL SURP) provides (1) project-based research experience, (2) mentoring and support outside the research activity, (3) community building and support opportunities through peer-to-peer relationships, and (4) tools and strategies to navigate the pathways to a Navy-relevant career. This broad-based strategy is intended to go beyond the research experience itself by providing supplemental perspectives and resources to participants, such as a one-day training cruise on the UW research vessel R/V Rachel Carson in Puget Sound.