An ad hoc Committee appointed by the National Research Council will develop a framework for an international series of faculty development workshops with the goal of promoting and enhancing education about issues related to research in the life sciences with dual use potential in key regions around the world.
The workshops will bring together higher education faculty in the life sciences as well as experts in related areas to teach and learn about methods for effective teaching and learning, develop curricular materials to facilitate education about dual use issues that they will use in their classes, and become prepared to be leaders in their communities on these topics.
The project will be conducted in three phases:
• Phase I: Planning (Year 1). The Committee will organize and hold a planning meeting, tentatively scheduled at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Alexandria, Egypt in late May, which will bring together life science educators from the MENA region with leaders in dual use issues and science education. The planning meeting will help to answer substantive and logistical questions that will guide the organization of Phase II, including issues such as scheduling, language, target audience, and evaluation, outreach and dissemination strategies. A consensus letter report will be prepared to guide the organization of Phase II and to serve as a model for organizing similar meetings in the MENA or other regions. In its report, the Committee may offer guidance on the distribution of resources to support implementation and follow-up activities.
• Phase II: First Faculty Development Workshop (Year 1). The Committee will organize a first workshop focused on Egypt that will feature several invited presentations in addition to workgroups and hands-on exercises. The Committee will identify the topics, select and invite speakers and other participants, and work with regional hosts in organizing the session.
• Phase III: Implementation and Additional Activities (Year 2; NEW). The Committee will work with participants from the first institute to help them implement what they have learned at their home institutions. Small amounts of funding to support implementation, such as the development of new materials, brown bag seminars, or other activities will be made available to at least some of
the participating faculty. A follow-up meeting for workshop alumni will take place in Egypt at the end of the academic year 2011-2012, which staff and 2-3 Committee members will attend. The Committee will also oversee the preparation of a final consensus report that would provide an account of the first workshop, the activities initiated by the participants at their home institutions, the presentations at the follow-on meeting of the alumni, and an evaluation of the outcomes. It will also offer further conclusions about successful practices for preparing faculty to teach about research with dual use potential.