Collaborative Research: Expanding Access: Furthering a Network of Diversity-Focused Programs in the Physical Sciences

该奖项支持Access Network项目，该项目旨在大幅提高物理科学领域的公平性和包容性。Access成立于2014年，是一个全国性的网络，汇集了九个项目，所有这些项目都利用了为物理学和其他物理科学中代表性不足的学生提供服务的最佳实践。这一奖项将把网络从9个站点扩大到15个站点，并开始扩大网络活动的规模，办法是确定和招募新站点(特别是从为少数族裔服务的机构)，通过“入职讲习班”在新站点内建设能力，在第一年密集指导新站点，维持现有的接入网络活动，以支持强大的站点间社区，并规划和进行内部和外部评估，以记录成功经验和支持站点的可持续性。这些活动将增强网络支持新旧站点的能力，从而使网络能够以更有效的方式接触到相当多的学生。访问站点是以加州大学伯克利分校国家认可的指南针项目为蓝本的。在一套共同的原则(例如，学生的声音、真正的纪律参与)和一套方案提供(例如，导师、模范建设课程、社区活动、早期研究机会)的推动下，每个网站都根据其独特的人群的需求而量身定做，从罗切斯特理工学院的大量聋人和重听学生到芝加哥州立大学的黑人通勤学生。该网络通过提供相关的专业知识、社区支持、受指导的领导机会和一系列共享资源来支持每个站点。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award supports the Access Network, a project aimed at substantially improving equity and inclusion in the physical sciences. Formed in 2014, Access is a national network that brings together nine programs that all leverage best practices for serving underrepresented students in Physics and other physical sciences. This award would expand the network from 9 to 15 sites and begin to scale up network activities by identifying and recruiting new sites (particularly from Minority Serving Institutions), building capacity within new sites through an "onboarding workshop", intensively mentoring new sites in their first year, maintaining existing Access Network activities to support a strong intersite-community, and planning and conducting internal and external evaluation to document successes and support sites' sustainability. These activities will enhance the capacity of the network to support both old and new sites, thus allowing the network to reach considerably more students in more effective ways.Access sites are modeled on the nationally-recognized Compass Project at UC Berkeley. Driven by a set of shared principles (e.g., student voice, authentic disciplinary engagement) and a suite of programmatic offerings (e.g., mentorship, model building courses, community events, early research opportunities), each site is tailored to the needs of its unique population, ranging from a large number of Deaf and hard of hearing students at the Rochester Institute of Technology to Black commuter students at Chicago State University. The network supports each site by providing relevant expertise, community support, mentored leadership opportunities, and a set of shared resources.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.