IGE: Enhancing Diversity by Changing Institutional Culture and Scaffolding Student Success

种族、族裔和性别多样性提高了创造力，对持续创新、创业活动和全球竞争力至关重要。然而，研究生水平的多样化仍然是许多大学面临的重大挑战。需要的是一种全面、可扩展和具有成本效益的方法，能够解决以下问题：族裔/种族多样性低；博士学位毕业率低，以及在研究生院取得成功并在科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)领域从事学术、私营部门和职业生涯的准备不足。这项授予内华达大学雷诺分校的国家科学基金会研究生教育创新奖将测试一种新的招聘、保留和职业准备方法，以增加第一代大学生和来自历史上代表性不足的群体的学生在STEM研究生教育中的代表性。在研究生院的头1.5年里，学生们将参加两个为期3周的暑期新兵训练营，以及额外的职业发展、指导和社交网络支持活动。该项目的独特内容包括：(1)有意发展招聘/保留正面反馈循环；(2)家庭/社区参与以加强支助小组；(3)市场技能培训(例如，通过虚拟现实平台进行交流)。该项目的成果将产生关于招募和留住历史上任职人数不足的人口的最佳做法的新知识。虽然该项目主要侧重于为历来任职人数不足的研究生群体提供招聘、留用和职业准备，但目前正在处理五个主要领域。具体地说，该项目将测试干预措施，并比较控制组和测试组的结果，以检查在以下方面的潜在变化：(1)学习成绩和研究质量，(2)非经济家庭支持，(3)通向学位完成和职业安置的简便性，(4)招聘和保留，以及(5)学生研究和沟通技能。干预措施包括量化纪律和可转让技能单元、社会支持网络以及加强辅导和导师培训。形成性/终结性评估和假设检验程序将包括调查、学业成绩比较、课程评估、焦点小组、一对一访谈、社交网络访谈、对学生/家庭成员的FIG(家庭参与研究生院)评估和对教职员工的全国资源指导网络调查。干预措施将进行单独和集体评估，以确定学生和教师的参与是否改善了研究生教育成果，改善了导师/学员关系，并通过积极反馈循环加强了对历史上代表性不足的群体和第一代学生的招聘。研究生教育创新(IGE)项目专注于研究生教育的研究。IGE的目标是试验、测试和验证研究生教育的创新方法，并产生将这些方法推广到更广泛社区所需的知识。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。

Racial, ethnic and gender diversity enhances creativity and is essential for sustained innovation, entrepreneurial activity and global competitiveness. However, diversification at the graduate level remains a major challenge for many universities. What is needed is a comprehensive, scalable and cost-effective approach that can address: low ethnic/racial diversity; low doctoral degree completion rates, and inadequate preparation to succeed in graduate school and pursue academic, private sector and professional careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). This National Science Foundation Innovations in Graduate Education (IGE) award to the University of Nevada, Reno will test a novel recruitment, retention and career preparedness approach for increasing the representation of first-generation college students and students from historically underrepresented groups in STEM graduate education. Students will be engaged in two 3-week summer boot camps as well as additional professional development, mentoring, and social network support activities during the first 1.5 years of graduate school. Unique elements of this project include (1) intentional development of a recruitment/retention positive feedback loop, (2) family/community involvement to enhance support groups, and (3) training in marketable skills (e.g. communication via virtual reality platforms). Outcomes from this project will generate new knowledge concerning best practices for recruitment and retention of historically underrepresented populations. While this project is broadly focused on recruitment, retention and career preparedness for historically underrepresented groups of graduate students, there are five major areas being addressed. Specifically, the project will test interventions and compare results across control and test groups to examine potential changes in: (1) academic performance and research quality, (2) non-financial family support, (3) ease of navigation toward degree completion and career placement, (4) recruitment and retention, and (5) student research and communication skills. Interventions include quantitative disciplinary and transferrable skills modules, social support networks and enhanced mentoring and mentor training. Formative/summative assessment and hypothesis testing procedures will include surveys, academic performance comparisons, course evaluations, focus groups, one-on-one interviews, social network interviews, FIG (Family Involvement in Graduate School) assessment of students/family members and National Resource Mentoring Network surveys of faculty members. Interventions will be evaluated individually and collectively to determine whether student and faculty participation enhanced graduate education outcomes, improved mentor/mentee relationships and enhanced recruitment of historically underrepresented groups and first-generation students through positive feedback loops. The Innovations in Graduate Education (IGE) program is focused on research in graduate education. The goals of IGE are to pilot, test and validate innovative approaches to graduate education and to generate the knowledge required to move these approaches into the broader community.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.