Broadening participation in Economics through professional mentoring

该奖项资助研究生指导计划，该计划是旨在扩大经济学参与的更广泛努力的一部分。该指导计划由调查员与美国经济协会经济学专业少数群体地位委员会合作开展。该指导计划帮助来自代表性不足群体的学生度过科学家发展的多个关键阶段，从研究生学习的早期阶段到完成论文研究并开始他们的第一个博士后职位。学生定期在全国各地的各种专业会议上与项目导师会面。一年一度的研讨会将所有参与者聚集在一起进行研究报告；该研讨会与针对社会和经济科学职业感兴趣的本科生的暑期课程同时举行。研究生受益于与自己的导师一起工作，并且能够轮流担任更多初级学生的导师。指导计划还通过资助参加其他专业会议的旅行、与导师一起工作或访问数据以及其他研究费用的资金来促进学生参与者的研究和专业发展。出于多种原因，增加受过研究生培训的经济学家的数量符合国家利益。 2016 年，人事管理办公室 (OPM) 呼吁继续努力缩小经济学专业的技能差距，因为经济学专业是政府范围内的高风险关键任务职业 (MCO)。 经验表明，一些辅导计划的毕业生将继续在政府部门任职。其他人将通过担任教授来培养下一代经济学家。项目参与者将随着时间的推移被跟踪，以帮助评估项目的成功；该评估将包括为扩大西班牙裔、黑人和美洲原住民对经济学专业的参与而做出的全部努力。评估结果将用于为未来的指导工作制定新的想法和方法。

This award funds a graduate student mentoring program that is part of a broader suite of efforts that work to broaden participation in Economics. The mentoring program is conducted by the investigator in collaboration with the American Economic Association's Committee on the Status of Minority Groups in the Economics Profession. The mentoring program helps students from under-represented groups navigate a number of critical stages in their development as scientists as they go from the early stages of graduate study through completing dissertation research and starting their first post-doctoral position. Students meet regularly with their program mentors at a variety of professional conferences around the country. An annual workshop brings all participants together for research presentations; this workshop is held in conjunction with a summer program aimed at undergraduate students who are interested in careers in Social and Economic Science. The graduate students benefit from both working with their own mentors and are able to serve as mentors in turn to more junior students. The mentoring program also promotes the research and professional development of the student participants by funding travel to other professional conferences, travel to work with mentors or access data, and funds for other research expenses. Increasing the number of graduate-trained economists is in the national interest for multiple reasons. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) in 2016 called for continued work to close the skill gap in the Economics profession, which is a Government-wide high-risk mission critical occupation (MCO). Experience demonstrates that some graduates of the mentoring program will go on to government service. Others will contribute by working as professors to train future generations of economists.Program participants will be followed over time to help evaluate program success; this evaluation will include the full group of efforts to broaden participation by Hispanics, Blacks, and Native Americans in the Economics profession. Evaluation results will be used to develop new ideas and methods for future mentoring efforts.