NRT-IGE: Reducing Attrition of Underrepresented Minority and First-Generation Graduate Students in Interdisciplinary Computational Sciences

加州大学默塞德分校研究生教育创新（IGE）项目的国家科学基金会研究培训（NRT）奖将试点跨学科计算科学（ICS）的研究生教育创新，以减少流失率，特别是对代表性不足的少数民族和第一代学生来说，完成学位是一个特别的挑战。该项目将采取系统的、综合的方法，提供基于团队的跨学科研究和学生支持和指导。这种方法的另一个核心要素是为工业和国家实验室以及学术界的研究职位做职业准备。项目评估将检查实施、学生成绩和保留，并将使用形成性评估来指导改进。如果成功，该试点项目将产生一种教育方法，提高代表性不足群体的博士学位完成率，改善职业准备，并可扩展和复制到其他项目和机构。试点计划的主要目标是在跨学科框架内培养计算和数据分析技能；减少人员流失，特别是在少数族裔和第一代研究生中；并为学生在国家实验室和行业的职业生涯或与国家实验室和行业的合作做好准备。支持这些目标的项目活动包括为期两天的介绍性研讨会，随后是每周的项目会议和侧重于解决跨学科计算科学问题所需的特定技能的教学模块。模块内容将包括编程语言、数据分析工具、模型构建、基本算法、数据解释和可视化。此外，该计划还将提供专业发展模块，重点是项目管理，团队合作，沟通和演讲技巧。所有模块都将得到教师、同行、行业和国家实验室合作伙伴的持续指导。这个试点项目为学生提供了摆脱狭隘的学科训练的机会，拓宽了他们解决问题的方法和在不同团队中工作的能力，同时也扩展了他们的计算技能和对数据分析工具的熟悉程度。评价将评价教学模块的成功以及整个项目的结构和教学策略，形成性评价在迭代过程中为修订提供信息。预计该项目采用的跨学科团队方法，结合专业发展，社会支持和多位导师，将提高代表性不足的少数民族和第一代STEM研究生的完成率，并为他们未来的职业成功做好准备，从而帮助满足严重的国家需求。美国国家科学基金会研究实习生（NRT）计划旨在鼓励开发和实施大胆的、新的、具有潜在变革性的STEM研究生教育培训模式。研究生教育创新轨道专门用于试点，测试和评估新颖，创新和潜在的变革性研究生教育方法。

This National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT) award in the Innovations in Graduate Education (IGE) Track to the University of California, Merced will pilot a graduate education innovation in Interdisciplinary Computational Sciences (ICS) to reduce attrition rates, particularly for underrepresented minorities and first-generation students for whom degree completion is a particular challenge. The project will undertake a systematic, integrated approach that provides team-based interdisciplinary research and student support and mentoring. Another central element of this approach is career preparation for research positions in industry and national laboratories, as well as academia. Project evaluation will examine implementation, student achievement, and retention and will use formative assessment to guide refinements. If successful, this pilot project will result in an educational approach that improves doctoral completion rates for underrepresented groups and improves career preparedness, and that is scalable and replicable to additional programs and institutions.The primary goals of the pilot program are to foster computational and data analytic skills within an interdisciplinary framework; reduce attrition, especially among underrepresented minorities and first generation graduate students; and prepare students for careers in, or in partnership with, national laboratories and industry. Program activities in support of the goals include a two-day introductory workshop followed by weekly project meetings and instructional modules focused on specific skills required to solve interdisciplinary computational science problems. Module content will include programming languages, tools for data analytics, model building, fundamental algorithms, and data interpretation and visualization. In addition, the program will provide professional development modules focused on project management, teamwork, communication and presentation skills. All of the modules will be complemented with continuous mentoring from faculty, peers, and partners from industry and the national laboratories. This pilot project offers students the opportunity to move away from narrow disciplinary training, broadening their approaches to problem solving and their ability to work in diverse teams while also expanding their computational skills and familiarity with data analytic tools. Assessment will evaluate the success of instructional modules and the structure and pedagogical strategy of the project as a whole, with formative assessments informing revisions in an iterative process. It is expected that the interdisciplinary team-based approach employed in this project, in combination with professional development, social supports and multiple mentors, will result in improved completion rates for underrepresented minority and first generation STEM graduate students and prepare them for future career success, thus helping to meet a serious national need.The NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) Program is designed to encourage the development and implementation of bold, new, potentially transformative models for STEM graduate education training. The Innovations in Graduate Education Track is dedicated solely to piloting, testing, and evaluating novel, innovative, and potentially transformative approaches to graduate education.