CareerWise III: Intersectional Perspectives on Perceived Supports & Persistence Among Diverse Women in STEM Doctoral Programs

本研究将调查STEM博士项目中多数（高加索）女性和未被充分代表的少数（URM）女性的感知支持与坚持之间的关系。女性离开STEM博士项目的比例高于白人男性。考虑到STEM各层次劳动力的多样性已被证明有利于相关科学研究的成果，减少这些STEM人才的流失尤为重要。拟议的工作将增加对女性在STEM学术和研究职业中代表性不足的原因的理解。主要研究成果将纳入在线CareerWISE弹性培训干预，并将为告知和教育如何加强对STEM女性的支持的关键支持来源提供基础。该项目解决了一个重要的研究问题：感知支持的经历如何在STEM领域不同女性博士生的学术坚持中发挥作用？本项目拟开展三项研究，每项研究采用不同的研究方法，并以社会认知职业理论的理论视角为指导。“反思研究”将产生关于支持事件性质的定性数据，以及人际支持的来源、类型和时间，这些数据最有效地减轻了STEM博士项目中遇到的困难带来的沮丧和压力。以实验室为基础的“支持沟通”研究将实时观察教师导师和高级博士生之间如何沟通支持。最后，“第一年和第二年的支持经验”研究将评估在博士学习的关键早期阶段发生的支持经验。研究的参与者将包括当前的STEM博士生，最近从博士课程毕业的早期职业专业人士，以及在完成学位之前离开STEM博士课程的女性。所有研究的数据将从访谈、调查、日刊和实验室观察中收集。该项目由教育和人力资源核心研究计划（ECR）支持，该计划资助STEM学习和学习环境的基础研究，扩大STEM参与和STEM劳动力发展。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This study will investigate the associations between perceived supports and persistence for both majority (Caucasian) women and underrepresented minority (URM) women in STEM doctoral programs. Women leave doctoral programs in STEM at higher rates than their white male counterparts. Reducing the attrition of these talented individuals from STEM is of particular importance given that diversity at all levels of the STEM workforce has been shown to benefit the outcomes of related scientific research. The proposed work will increase understanding of the reasons for the underrepresentation of women in STEM academic and research careers. Key research findings will be incorporated in the online CareerWISE resilience training intervention and will provide the foundation for informing and educating key support sources about how to strengthen support for women in STEM.The project addresses the overarching research question of: How do experiences of perceived support play a role in the academic persistence of diverse female doctoral students in STEM? The project proposes three studies, each of which utilizes different research methods, and are guided by the theoretical lens of Social Cognitive Career Theory. The "reflections study" will produce qualitative data about the nature of support episodes, and the sources, types, and timing of interpersonal support that were most effective in mitigating discouragement and stresses from difficulties experienced in STEM doctoral programs. The lab-based "communications of support" study will provide real-time observations of how support is communicated between a faculty mentor and an advanced stage doctoral student. Finally, the "first and second year support experiences" study will assess support experiences that take place during the critical early stages of doctoral study. Participants in the studies will include current STEM doctoral students, early career professionals who have recently graduated from doctoral programs, and women who left their STEM doctoral programs prior to completing their degrees. Data across the studies will be collected from interviews, surveys, daily journals, and lab-based observation. The project is supported by the Education and Human Resources Core Research Program (ECR), which funds fundamental research in STEM learning and learning environments, broadening participation in STEM, and STEM workforce development.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.