BPC-DP: CS Subfield Diversity: Developing the Research Basis to Inform Intervention Strategies

科罗拉多大学将研究导致计算机科学(CS)子领域隔离的机制，这些知识可用于缓解CS研究子领域缺乏多样性的问题。CS子领域的广泛范围对几乎所有其他科学努力都是至关重要的，导致对CS研究科学家的需求强劲且不断增长。CS研究人员从事前沿、创造性的工作，被安排到有影响力的职位，并赚取高薪。然而，相对较少的小规模团体成员担任CS研究职位。努力扩大对CS的参与，侧重于在更广泛的学科中增加历史上被边缘化的团体成员的数量。然而，有证据表明，参与程度在不同的CS子领域有很大不同，小规模群体的成员被引导到不那么有声望和影响力的专业化、职位和角色领域。这种“职业隔离”危及美国的创新、经济竞争力和社会正义。研究CS子场分离的产生机制，以缓解CS研究子场在数量和影响上的多样性不足，一直被忽视，但对于设计有效的干预措施扩大计算参与度是至关重要的。这个扩大参与计算示范项目的目的是通过按子场量化国内种族和少数民族计算机科学家，并通过对CS研究人员如何选择子场进行深入、定性的理解，来扩展最近关于CS研究子领域隔离的工作。一项由三部分组成的三角研究被提议：1)对在许多方面(例如，子领域、机构类型/角色、交叉的少数群体地位、BPC参与)的计算机科学家进行深入访谈，将对CS研究分领域选择背后的机制有一个定性的了解；2)对公共分领域话语的文本分析将明确关于谁属于谁不属于谁的默会价值观和信念，以及排斥和包容的沟通方式；3)大规模调查将量化国内少数族裔在CS分领域的参与，并可能允许对访谈和文本分析揭示的机制进行总结和跨组经验比较。结果将是一个知识库，将更好地支持制定干预措施，以克服CS子领域隔离。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。

University of Colorado will study the mechanisms that leads to computer science (CS) subfield segregation, knowledge that can be used to mitigate the lack of diversity in CS research subfields. The wide range of CS subfields is critical to nearly every other scientific endeavor, leading to strong and growing demand for CS research scientists. CS researchers do cutting edge, creative work, are placed into influential positions, and earn high salaries. Yet relatively few members of minoritized groups occupy CS research positions. Efforts to broaden participation in CS have focused on increasing numbers of historically minoritized group members in the broader discipline. However, evidence suggests that participation varies widely across CS subfields, with members of minoritized groups channeled into less prestigious and influential areas of specialization, positions, and roles. This "occupational segregation" jeopardizes U.S. innovation, economic competitiveness, and social justice. Studying the mechanisms that produce CS subfield segregation to mitigate lack of diversity in CS research subfields—in terms of both numbers and influence—has been neglected but is fundamental to the design of effective interventions in broadening participation in computing.This Broadening Participation in Computing Demonstration Project aims to extend recent work on CS research subfield segregation by quantifying domestic racial and ethnic minority computer scientists by subfield and by developing a deep, qualitative understanding of how CS researchers come to choose subfields. A three-part, triangulated study is proposed: 1) in-depth interviews of computer scientists who are diverse in many ways (e.g., subfields, institutional types/roles, intersecting minority statuses, BPC involvement) will produce a qualitative understanding of the mechanisms behind CS research subfield choice; 2) textual analysis of public subfield discourse will make explicit the tacit values and beliefs about who belongs and who does not, as well as ways exclusion and inclusion are communicated; and 3) a large-scale survey will quantify participation of domestic racial minorities in CS subfields and may allow generalization and comparisons across groups of experience of the mechanisms revealed by the interview and textual analysis. The outcome will be a knowledge base that will better support development of interventions for overcoming CS subfield segregationThis 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.