Collaborative Research: Symposium on the Science of Broadening Participation

学术界、政府和工业界的合格和敏捷的STEM劳动力被认为是经济进步的核心，少数民族、妇女和残疾人等特定群体的代表性不足浪费了资源，阻碍了生产力和增长，并引发了社会正义、包容和公平的问题。虽然有大量和丰富的研究与这一问题有关，但相关的政策和方案干预措施面临各种挑战，实际上并不是一刀切的。认识到问题的复杂性和紧迫性，美国国家科学基金会？美国国家科学基金会（NSF）科学与工程平等机会委员会（Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering）建议，“NSF应该实施一项大胆的新举措，重点是扩大代表性不足的群体在STEM领域的参与。”这次研讨会的召开是为了响应并本着大胆的新倡议，让新兴的扩大参与科学（SoBP）参与进来。考虑到各种利益相关者的利益和立场，研讨会的一个重要目标是在深入了解与教育和专业过程和结果相关的分层力量的作用和相互作用的基础上制定研究和行动议程。研讨会的目的是通过邀请具有相关专长和知识的学者、研究人员、从业人员、资助组织的代表和政策分析人员参加，确定SoBP和相关政策的范围和分析特点。对这些问题采用分析全面和基于科学的方法，更有能力处理相关的前因后果，因为政策过程的关键特征对于确定有效的干预措施和确定有希望的政策和方案，以实现可持续的变革和改善参与至关重要。

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.