Project Crossover: A Study of the Transition from Student to Scientist

我们项目的目的是研究培养新科学家的过程。许多人的假设是，这个过程是很好理解的。事实上，在过去的两个世纪里，这一过程基本保持不变。然而，我们对相关文献的回顾表明，关于从学生到科学家的转变的研究很少。一个特别关键但调查不足的时期是研究生进入导师的实验室，最初帮助他们进行研究，然后最终为他们的论文进行原创性研究。到目前为止，研究生都是科学知识的能手消费者，只有极少数人做过原创性研究。在此期间，研究生必须成为科学知识的生产者。智力价值：这个项目的智力价值在于揭示这种转变如何发生的机制。我们建议学习化学和物理的实验科学。这项研究将解决以下问题：1)不同的教师导师是否有共同的培养研究生的方法？在培养科学生产力方面，其中一些方法是不是比其他方法更成功？培养出更多生产力的科学家的项目有没有共同的特点？2)教师顾问用什么标准来确定他们的学生是否准备成为独立的研究人员？这些标准在特定的实验室中是共同的还是独特的？3)导师和研究生对研究独立性的印象有多接近？研究生是否意识到他们已经实现了研究的独立性？我们提出了一种将定性成分和定量成分结合起来的混合方法。定性部分将包括对一系列科学家和研究生的采访和观察。从这一定性部分获得的信息将用于制定一项调查，以询问全国科学家和研究生的样本。根据调查分析建立的统计模型，将通过对定性数据语料库的审查来检验其有效性。这项研究的目的是为新科学家在学位论文研究过程中的培训机制提供急需的信息。通过我们对化学和物理博士项目的初步研究，我们产生了几个假设，其中包括：一个学生过去在正规学校环境中专注于科学内容知识而不是创造性探究的经历，有损于而不是促进他或她向科学家的转变。不同的实验室和机构的研究生导师都有共同的主题和方法来促进过渡。这些主题在培养学生方面的有效性各不相同。可以确定有效的教与学的方法，并将科学研究与科学生产力联系起来。教育和研究之间的这种联系可能有助于发展更具科学生产力和教育效率的研究实验室。广泛的影响：项目成果旨在产生以下更广泛的影响：1)提供详细的分析，为以实验室为基础的经验科学研究生的研究培训提供信息；2)提供数据，说明以前的科学教育经验对科学研究学习的影响；3)提供数据，为减轻美国在科学研究中的主导地位的侵蚀的政策提供信息；以及4)提高有兴趣成为科学家的学生的意识和机会。

The purpose of our project is to study the process of training new scientists. The presumption among many is that this process is well understood. In fact, the process has remained much the same for the past two centuries. However, our review of the relevant literature reveals a scarcity of research about the transition from student to scientist. A particularly critical, yet under-investigated period is when graduate students enter their advisors' labs to initially help with research and then eventually to carry out original research for their dissertation. Up to this time, graduate students are able consumers of scientific knowledge, with only a rare few who have done original research. During this period, graduate students must become producers of scientific knowledge.Intellectual Merit: The intellectual merit of this project lies in uncovering the mechanisms of how this transition occurs. We propose to study the empirical laboratory sciences of chemistry and physics. The research will address the following questions:1) Do different faculty advisors share common approaches to educating their graduate students? Are some of these approaches more successful than others in fostering scientific productivity? Are there common characteristics across programs that turn out more productive scientists?2) What criteria do faculty advisors use to determine that their students are prepared to become independent researchers? Are these criteria common or idiosyncratic within specific labs?3) How closely matched are the impressions of advisors and graduate students about research independence? Do graduate students realize when they have achieved research independence?We propose a mixed methodological approach coupling a qualitative component with a quantitative component. The qualitative component will include interviews and observations of an array of scientists and graduate students. The information gained from this qualitative component will be used to develop a survey to query a national sample of scientists and graduate students. The statistical models developed from the survey analysis, will be tested for validity by reviewing to the qualitative data corpus. The objective of this study is to provide much needed information about the mechanisms in the training of new scientists during their dissertation research. Through our pilot study of chemistry and physics doctoral programs, we have generated several hypotheses that include: A student's past experience focused on science content knowledge rather than on creative inquiry in formal school settings detracts from, rather than facilitates, his or her transition to scientist. Common themes and approaches to fostering the transition exist for graduate advisors across different laboratories and institutions. These themes vary in their effectiveness in training students.Effective approaches to teaching and learning scientific research may be identified and connected with scientific productivity. This connection between education and research may inform the development of more scientifically productive and educationally effective research laboratories.Broader Impacts: The project outcomes are intended to have the following broader impacts: 1) provide detailed analysis to inform the research training of graduate students in laboratory-based empirical sciences, 2) provide data on the impact of prior science education experiences on the learning of scientific research, 3) provide data to inform policy for mitigating the erosion of US dominance in scientific research, and 4) improve awareness and access for students interested in becoming scientists.