Collaborative Research: Symposium on the Science of Broadening Participation

学术界、政府和工业界拥有一支合格和灵活的STEM劳动力队伍被认为是经济进步的核心，少数群体、妇女和残疾人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、包容性和公平性的问题。虽然与这一问题相关的大量丰富的研究已经存在，但相关的政策和方案干预措施面临着各种挑战，从实际意义上讲，并不是一刀切的。认识到这一问题的复杂性和紧迫性，美国国家科学基金会S科学与工程机会均等委员会建议“国家科学基金会应实施一项大胆的新举措，重点是扩大未被充分代表的群体在STEM中的参与。”召开这次研讨会是为了让新兴的扩大参与科学(SoBP)响应并本着这一大胆的新倡议的精神。考虑到各利益攸关方的利益和立场，专题讨论会的一个重要目标是在深入了解与教育和专业进程和成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。研讨会的目的是确定SOBP和相关政策的范围和分析特征，包括学者、研究人员、从业人员、资助组织的代表和具有相关专门知识和知识的政策分析员。对这类问题采用分析性、综合性和以科学为基础的方法更有能力处理相关的前因和后果，因为政策进程的关键特征对于确定有效的干预措施以及确定有前景的政策和方案以促进可持续变化和改进参与至关重要。

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.