# Authentic Community Engagement in Science (ACES)

> **NIH NIH R25** · MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY -BILLINGS · 2021 · $247,728

## Abstract

The Atomic Circus Experience (ACE) Project
 Matt Queen & Amanda Obery
Improving student access to quality biochemical and STEM education has been a focus of rural
educational reform for many years. Positive experiences for students prior to middle school are
critical given research showing that students who have an interest in STEM in middle school are
significantly more likely to pursue careers in these fields than those who aren’t interested. As
part of a holistic approach to this issue, the Atomic Circus Experience (ACE) Project builds on
the power of collaborative partnerships and community engagement, shown to be effective
ways in working with rural and Native students. Centering on fifth grade students, the ACE
Project seeks to build knowledge and interest in biomedical and STEM careers throughout
Eastern Montana including rural and tribal communities. To accomplish this goal, the ACE
project will work with local teachers, and biomedical professionals to develop a culturally-
relevant, place-based biomedical and STEM curriculum, ensuring all students can identify and
have role models in these fields. The curriculum will focus on increasing biochemical content
knowledge and career aspirations by engaging students through a problem-based learning
approach based on local phenomena. The curriculum is reinforced using a traveling,
community-customized, multimedia biochemical stage show featuring actors, a full rock band,
and a troupe of interpretive dancers. In addition to the work done with the schools, a community
engagement night will offer a public showing of the show will also feature a research bus open
house and accompanying INBRE-based biomedical researcher. The ACE Project will travel to
six communities in Eastern Montana, impacting approximately 7,200 students over the course of
5 years. Overall, this project is innovative in its multifaceted approach to working with rural and
Native students and calls upon promising, yet under-used, approaches in culturally relevant and
place-based pedagogies, based in the Next Generation Science Standards, in order to make
lasting changes in communities around support for biomedical and STEM fields.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10216527
- **Project number:** 1R25GM137374-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY -BILLINGS
- **Principal Investigator:** Amanda Obery
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $247,728
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-07-01 → 2026-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10216527

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10216527, Authentic Community Engagement in Science (ACES) (1R25GM137374-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10216527. Licensed CC0.

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