INTRODUCING UNDERGRADUATES TO RESTRICTED RESEARCH
Abstract
At the VT Hume Center, researchers are cultivating the next generation of enduring engineering talent for the DoD and IC workforce through a combination of sponsored research programs, classroom instruction, and hands-on experiential learning. This proposal seeks to extend and expand one of the more recent components of our workforce development pipeline, specifically the refinement and teaching of an Introduction to Restricted Research course, which is structured to guide students towards careers in defense early within their collegiate experience. This student pipeline has recently been bolstered through the ONR-funded Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP@VT) program, which (1) establishes an integrated product team (IPT)-like faculty/student engagement model for experiential learning, and (2) created an Introduction to Restricted Research course that offers students an ITAR-level classroom introduction to DoD/IC missions, use cases, and career options. This Intro to Restricted Research is presently being taught as a special studies seminar via the Engineering Education department, with 42 U.S. citizen students (primarily freshman / sophomore level) enrolled; faculty across campus involved in DoD/IC research, representatives from Navy labs, and corporate donors are collectively supporting this vision of introducing students to careers in DoD and IC early in their undergraduate experience. We see this class, and the VT ecosystem permitting a direct integration of DoD research into the classroom, as a first of its kind in a public university – we seek to refine the class and engagement model through this grant, initially supporting the students at Virginia Tech and subsequently packaging the approach for replication at our partner schools (a growing network of cross-university experiential learning efforts as well as the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative schools).
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jul 09, 2021
- Source ID
- HQ00342010039
Entities
People
- Alan J. Michaels
Organizations
- Office of the Secretary of Defense
- Virginia Tech
- Washington Headquarters Services