Welcome to AK UNiTE!

AK UNiTE is an NSF Funded Research Coordination Network in Undergraduate Biology.

In 2021, incubator funding provided modest stipends and funds for supplies to 19 undergraduate students to engage in research with 13 partners. During the evaluation of the incubator phase, AK UNiTE identified mentorship training and support as a crucial need for Alaskan researchers. Alaska is a region that is home to 228 federally recognized Alaska Native tribes and includes some of the most diverse schools in the country. This high level of student diversity is not reflected in the available pool of scientific mentors, which highlights the need to provide culturally responsible mentoring approaches. By providing researchers with mentorship support, AK UNiTE aims to expand the ability of Alaskan students, particularly historically marginalized groups, to participate in biological research in Alaska. Connecting students from diverse backgrounds to place-based research with culturally responsive mentors is one method to increase retention in the biological sciences.

AK UNiTE is committed to the principles of justice, equity, and inclusion. With our partners, our goal is to incorporate diverse experiences and perspectives to create inclusive and respectful learning environments. We recognize and honor the Native peoples of Alaska who have stewarded Alaska's environment since time immemorial and who continue to work on environmental issues in Alaska. Our institutions (University of Alaska Anchorage, Kodiak College, and the University of Washington - Tacoma) are located on the ancestral and unceded homelands of the Dena'ina, Alutiiq-Sugpiaq, and Puyallup peoples.

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