Identifying Barriers and Building Capacity: A Conference Series to Explore Factors that Lead to Increased Success in Securing External Funding for STEM Initiatives

该项目旨在通过确定科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)学者，特别是有色人种学者在成功创建和实施受资助的研究资助活动方面所面临的障碍，为国家利益服务。在项目过程中，将举行两次混合授课会议。来自开放获取的两年制学院、广泛获取的四年制大学、历史上的黑人学院和大学(HBCU)以及其他少数群体服务机构(MSI)的教职员工将被邀请参加每一次会议。为了确保尽可能广泛的观众出席，参与者可以选择虚拟出席或面对面出席。尽管其他会议的重点是向教职员工提供如何撰写竞争性拨款提案的信息，但这次会议采取了更丰富的方法。在会议期间，教职员工将讨论他们的机构或机构系统中存在的潜在障碍，如果解决这些障碍，可能会改善成功的赠款撰写和项目实施。STEM本科教育的不同职业水平和机构类型的参与者将被聚集在一起，形成一个学者网络，重点是分享在成功获得外部资金方面的最佳做法。在机构层面导致可持续变化的示范项目也将被分享。这个项目是通过当代非裔美国人经验研究所的工作建立的，这是宾夕法尼亚州的一所州立HBCU切尼大学的一项倡议。这是一个有据可查的现象，尽管获得各级STEM学位(学士、硕士和博士学位)的有色人种人数正在增加，但在STEM中接受外部支持的有色人种人数正在减少。本次会议试图通过几种方式更好地理解和解决这一现象。首先是让参与者参与种族治疗圈，目的是识别潜在的障碍，特别是对有色人种来说，在获得资助的研究资金方面。第二是建立一个真正的个人网络，致力于STEM教育的研究和开发，目的是合作、指导和增进与获得外部研究支持有关的理解。第三是确定和分享减少障碍和增加支持的可持续方法，特别是在寻求和获得赞助研究资金方面对有色人种的支持。会议参与者将进行有针对性的评估，以更好地了解种族治疗圈、模拟小组、同行互动小组和其他活动如何识别和解决种族平等障碍和解决方案。调查结果将通过两个后续虚拟报告、有针对性的会议报告和发表调查结果，分发给所有与会者及其机构。该项目的资金由NSF IUSE：EHR计划提供，该计划支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生的STEM教育的有效性。通过机构和社区转型轨道，该计划支持高等教育机构和学科社区转变和改进STEM教育的努力。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 project aims to serve the national interest by identifying barriers facing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) scholars, particularly those of color, in the successful creation and implementation of sponsored research funded activities. Two hybrid-delivered conferences will be held during the course of the project. Faculty and staff from open access two-year colleges, broad access four-year universities, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and other Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) will be invited to attend each conference. To ensure attendance by as broad an audience as possible, participants can select to attend virtually or face to face. Though other conferences have focused on providing information to faculty on how to write a competitive grant proposal, this conference is taking a more enriched approach. During the conference meetings faculty and staff will discuss potential barriers that exist within their institutions or their institutional systems that, if addressed, could improve successful grant writing and project implementation. Attendees at varying career levels and institutional types in STEM undergraduate education will be brought together to form a network of scholars focused on sharing best practices with regard to being successful in securing external funding. Model programs that have resulted in sustainable change at the institutional level will also be shared.This project is building upon work through the Institute for the Contemporary African American Experience, an initiative at Cheyney University, a state HBCU in Pennsylvania. It is a well-documented phenomenon that though the number of people of color receiving STEM degrees of all levels (baccalaureate, masters, and doctorate) is increasing, the number of people of color in STEM who receive external support is decreasing. This conference seeks to better understand and address this phenomenon in several ways. First is to have participants engage in Racial Healing Circles for the purpose of identifying potential barriers, particularly for people of color, in securing sponsored research funds. Second is to create an authentic network of individuals dedicated to research and development in STEM education for the purpose of collaboration, mentoring, and increased understanding related to securing external research support. And third is to identify and share sustainable approaches to decreasing barriers and increasing support, particularly for people of color with regard to seeking and obtaining sponsored research funding. Targeted evaluation will occur with conference participants for the purpose of better understanding how activities like Racial Healing Circles, Mock Panels, Interactive Panels of Peers, and other activities can identify and address racial equity barriers and solutions. The findings will be disseminated to all attendees and their institutions through two follow-up virtual presentations, through targeted conference presentations, and publication of findings. Funding for this project is provided by the NSF IUSE: EHR Program which supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Institutional and Community Transformation track, the program supports efforts to transform and improve STEM education across institutions of higher education and disciplinary communities.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.