CSGrad4US Mentoring Program

计算研究协会的教育委员会（CRA-E）和扩大参与委员会（CRA-WP）将合作设计和实施一个指导计划，为NSF CSGrad4US研究生奖学金的接受者设计和实施一个指导计划，该奖学金针对当前在职的计算机与信息科学与工程（CISE）学士学位毕业生，并返回研究生院攻读CISE学科的博士学位。CSGrad4US指导计划的目标是：(1)指导归国学生通过申请过程，成功获得CISE博士学位和学校选择，以及(2)指导他们在第一年过渡到博士研究生学习，以提高保留率。该项目评估将揭示该路径学生的保留率以及该项目对国内计算机科学博士培养的潜在影响。由此产生的指导计划模式和导师和教练的专业发展模式将为其他增加国内博士培养的努力提供参考。从职场归来的学生对指导的需求不同于那些作为本科生申请研究生院的学生。主要的区别包括缺乏一个自然的同伴群体，很少有机会接触到可以提供研究生申请指导以及对其学术优势和劣势的看法的教师，以及缺乏其他研究生和助教形式的榜样。CSGrad4US指导计划不仅会提供一般的研究生申请建议和指导，还会提供缺失的更大的背景和网络。这些目标是通过在申请和决策过程中以及研究生院第一年的小组指导会议和个人指导来实现的。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。

The Computing Research Association’s Committees on Education (CRA-E) and Widening Participation (CRA-WP) will collaboratively design and implement a mentoring program for recipients of the NSF CSGrad4US Graduate Fellowships targeted at recent computer & information science & engineering (CISE) bachelor's degree graduates currently in the workforce and returning to graduate school for a PhD in a CISE discipline. The goals of the CSGrad4US Mentoring Program are (1) to guide returning students through the application process towards a successful CISE PhD admission and school selection, and (2) mentor them through the transition to PhD graduate study in the first year towards high retention. The program evaluation will shed light on the retention rate of students taking this pathway and the potential impact of the program on domestic CS PhD production. The resulting mentoring program model and professional development model for mentors and coaches will inform other efforts to increase domestic PhD production.The mentoring needs of students returning from the workforce is different from those applying to graduate school as undergrads. Key differences include the lack of a natural peer group, diminished access to faculty who can provide graduate application guidance as well as a perspective on their academic strengths and weaknesses, and the lack of role models in the form of other graduate students and Teaching Assistants. The CSGrad4US Mentoring Program will provide not only general graduate application advice and guidance, but also provide missing larger context and network. These goals are achieved through group mentoring sessions followed by individual coaching during the application and decision making process and the first year in graduate school.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.