The ECB Scholars program is a federally-funded grant (NSF-IUSE: 2142742) designed to support the transformation of institutional Teaching Professional Development for Teaching Assistants (TA-TPD) in the biological sciences. Teaching Assistants are responsible for a large proportion of undergraduate instruction, and they also represent the faculty of the future. By training them in inclusive and evidence-base teaching methods early in their careers, we can support them in their current positions, improve the educational experience of their students, and train the next generation of biology educators. In this way, we seek to “Evolve the Culture of Biology” education through TA-TPD.

Teams of up to three people can apply per institution, which may include faculty, staff, administrators, or other relevant parties invested in biology TA teaching development. Faculty or staff responsible for supervising biology TAs are strongly encouraged to apply, especially those who do not currently offer support for their teaching professional development. We encourage teams to span a diversity of position types, to ensure that practitioners offering TA-TPD are appropriately supported when they return to their campuses. Individuals may apply on their own, but we encourage them to reach out to other stakeholders (e.g. their supervisors) to collaborate with them in the program!

Our first workshop will be held in July, 2023 at Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA (July 17th – 19th, 2023). We are prioritizing regional applicants for each respective workshop, and we will visit multiple regions over the coming five years. If you’re in the southeast region, apply here for the program starting in July, 2023.

Institutional teams will apply to participate as ECB Scholars for one year. Once accepted, Scholars will attend a three-day regional workshop in the summer. At the ECB workshop, Scholars will learn about TA-TPD, engage with like-minded stakeholders from other institutions in their region, and work with mentors to develop a plan to create or transform a TA-TPD program at their home institution. From there, teams will participate in a year-long, structured learning community to support one another, work with mentors, and make meaningful progress on their individual transformational goals.

Funding for ECB Scholars will cover travel, lodging, and per diem for attending the regional workshop, as well as an honorarium upon completion of the program.

If you have any questions about the program or are considering applying, please email ecbscholars@gmail.com

You also can join BioTAP's Google Group to stay connected with others invested in biology TA training!