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）子领域分离的机制，这些知识可用于缓解CS研究子领域缺乏多样性的问题。CS子领域的广泛性对几乎所有其他科学奋进都至关重要，导致对CS研究科学家的需求强劲且不断增长。CS研究人员做尖端的，创造性的工作，被安置到有影响力的职位，并赚取高薪。然而，相对少数群体的成员占据CS研究职位。扩大CS参与度的努力重点是增加更广泛学科中历史上少数群体成员的数量。然而，有证据表明，CS子领域的参与差异很大，少数群体的成员被引导到专业化，职位和角色的声望和影响力较低的领域。这种“职业隔离”危及美国的创新、经济竞争力和社会公正。研究产生CS子领域隔离的机制，以减轻CS研究子领域在数量和影响力方面缺乏多样性，这个扩大参与计算示范项目旨在通过量化国内种族和少数民族计算机科学家来扩展最近关于计算机科学研究子领域隔离的工作，子领域，并通过发展一个深刻的，定性的理解CS研究人员如何来选择子领域。提出了一个由三部分组成的三角研究：1）深入采访在许多方面都不同的计算机科学家（例如，子领域、机构类型/角色、交叉的少数民族地位、BPC参与）将产生对CS研究子领域选择背后机制的定性理解：2）对公共子领域话语的文本分析将明确谁属于谁不属于谁的隐性价值观和信念，以及排斥和包容的沟通方式; 3）大规模的调查将量化国内少数民族在CS子领域的参与程度，并可以对访谈和文本分析揭示的机制进行概括和比较。其结果将是一个知识库，将更好地支持开发干预措施，克服CS子域隔离。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得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的支持。

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.