Collaborative Research: Symposium on the Science of Broadening Participation

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The presence of a qualified and agile STEM workforce for academia, government, and industry is recognized as central to economic progress, and the underrepresentation of minorities, women, and persons with disabilities particular groups wastes resources and hinders productivity and growth, as well as raising questions of social justice, inclusion, and fairness. While a large and rich body of research exists relevant to this issue, related policy and programmatic interventions have faced a variety of challenges and in practical terms, are not one-size-fits-all. Recognizing the complexity and urgency, the National Science Foundation?s (NSF) Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering has recommended that "NSF should implement a bold new initiative focused on broadening participation of underrepresented groups in STEM." This symposium is convened to engage the newly emerging Science of Broadening Participation (SoBP) in response to and in the spirit of a bold new initiative. In consideration of various stakeholder interests and positions, an important symposium goal is the development of research and action agendas based on an in-depth understanding of the role and interaction of stratifying forces relative to educational and professional processes and outcomes. The symposium is aimed at determining the scope and analytical features of the SoBP and related policy by including the participation of scholars, researchers, practitioners, representatives from funding organizations, and policy analysts with relevant expertise and knowledge. Applying an analytically comprehensive and science-based approach to such issues is more capable of dealing with relevant antecedents and consequences as critical features of the policy process is crucial to determining interventions that work and to identifying promising policies and programs for sustainable change and improvement in participation.