GSE/RES Collaborative Research: Recruitment and Retention of Women in Geosciences: An Investigation of Individual and Environmental Factors

智力优势：这个拟议的合作研究项目的目标是提供所需的知识，以增加从美国大学获得地球科学本科学位的女性比例。在过去的6年里，获得地球科学本科学位的女性比例一直停滞在40%左右，而女性仅占在职地球科学家的20%左右。美国地质研究所报告称，40%的比例可能代表了女性地球科学毕业生的上限。大多数其他STEM领域比地球科学更接近于实现性别平等。很少有实证研究调查为什么女性主修地球科学，或者女性的选择与男性在选择和坚持地球科学学位方面的选择有何不同。这项研究将通过研究为什么一些地球科学项目比其他项目更成功地招收和留住高比例的女学生来填补这一研究空白。具体而言，研究人员将研究一组女性地球科学学生毕业率高于平均水平的大学和另一组女性地球科学学生毕业率低于平均水平的大学的地球科学专业、学生和教师的特点。本研究将以社会认知职业理论为指导，采用混合研究方法。更广泛的影响：该项目将有助于提高获得美国大学地球科学本科学位的女性比例。最终，这可能会增加选择地球科学职业的女性比例。结果将广泛分发给地球科学系，以便征聘和留住地球科学专业的女性学生，其中包括可能实现性别平等的具体步骤的建议。

Intellectual Merit: The goal of this proposed collaborative research project is to contribute to the knowledge needed to increase the proportion of women receiving undergraduate geoscience degrees from U.S. universities. The proportion of women earning undergraduate geoscience degrees has stagnated at approximately 40% for the past 6 years, while women constitute only about 20% of working geoscientists. The American Geological Institute reports that the 40% level may represent a ceiling for female geoscience graduates. Most other STEM fields are closer than the geosciences to achieving gender parity. Little empirical research has investigated why women major in geoscience or how women's choices differ from men's choices to select and persist in a geoscience degree. This study would fill this research gap by studying why some geoscience programs are more successful than others at recruiting and retaining a high percentage of female students. Specifically, the researchers will study the characteristics of geoscience programs, students, and faculty at one set of universities with above-average graduation of female geoscience students and another set of universities with below-average graduation of female geoscience students. The study would be guided by Social Cognitive Career Theory and will use mixed methods research methods. Broader Impacts: This project will contribute to the knowledge needed to increase the proportion of women receiving undergraduate geoscience degrees from U.S. universities. Ultimately, this may increase the proportion of women choosing geosciences careers. Results will be disseminated widely to geosciences departments for recruiting and retaining female geosciences majors including recommendations for concrete steps that may achieve gender parity.