Increasing Employer Inclusivity by Investigating Motivation to Participate in Geoscience Disability Communities of Transformation

通过调查参与地球科学残疾社区转型的动机来提高雇主的包容性

• 批准号: 2321195
• 负责人: Megan Brown
• 金额: $ 25.96万
• 依托单位: Northern Illinois University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-10-01 至 2026-09-30
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2321195&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Increasing; Employer; Inclusivity; Investigating; Motivation

To address the Nation’s need for solutions to the complex problems that face American citizens, expert STEM workers from many sectors and communities are needed. Education must engage young people from diverse cultures to train in science and problem-solving so they can pursue the many challenges of the world around us. Geoscience is the disciplinary home from which to study the many resources we depend on, from air, water, and minerals, to safeguarding communities from natural hazards such as earthquakes. Innovative STEM education can support the development of the skills and knowledge needed to catalyze basic research into applied solutions. To be effective, we cannot exclude possible workers because of perceived barriers. This project addresses the need for increased inclusion of persons with disabilities in STEM, specifically in the geosciences. This pilot project will use the model of Communities of Transformation, a type of community of practice, to better understand the organizations that promote access and inclusion in geoscience for people with disabilities. Research will also address the motivation of geoscience employers regarding access and inclusion in the workplace. The pilot is planned to include surveys and interviews, including students and employers, to learn participants’ attitudes on disability. This project through Northern Illinois University will work to increase the capacity of academic institutions to engage disabled students with aptitudes in STEM to access educational pathways into geoscience careers. To support that activity and to conduct associated STEM education research the Principal Investigator (PI) will pursue learning experiences that will build her capacity in STEM education research. The professional development plan targets five areas: education models, mixed research methods, statistical analysis, mentoring, mentoring graduate students in education research, and developing and disseminating aligned manuscripts. The goal is to use these skills to increase the inclusion and accessibility in geosciences of persons with disabilities by decreasing the impact of perceived barriers to inclusion in education and workforce. The PI plans to research the motivation of communities supporting such outcomes, including geoscience employers. In addition to the PI, there is a team of four expert advisors that will meet bi-monthly reviewing and evaluating progress on methods, project data, address of disability issues and geoscience education, as well as mentoring and guiding the PI. Project outcomes will be made available through regular participation in appropriate professional conferences, publications in the journals of associated communities, and through data and other research products archived (de-identified) in the grantee institution’s library system repository. The project is supported by NSF Education Core Research: Building Capacity in STEM Education Research (ECR:BCSER) program, which is designed to build investigators’ capacity to carry out high-quality STEM education research.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.

为了解决美国公民面临的复杂问题，需要来自许多部门和社区的专业STEM工作者。教育必须让来自不同文化的年轻人接受科学和解决问题的培训，以便他们能够应对我们周围世界的许多挑战。地球科学是研究我们所依赖的许多资源的学科，从空气，水和矿物，到保护社区免受地震等自然灾害的影响。创新的STEM教育可以支持促进基础研究转化为应用解决方案所需的技能和知识的发展。为了有效，我们不能因为感觉到的障碍而排除可能的工人。该项目旨在满足更多地将残疾人纳入科学、技术、工程和数学领域，特别是地球科学领域的需要。 该试点项目将使用转型社区模式，这是一种实践社区，以更好地了解促进残疾人获得和融入地球科学的组织。研究还将解决地球科学雇主在工作场所的准入和包容方面的动机。试点计划包括调查和访谈，包括学生和雇主，以了解参与者对残疾的态度。 通过北方伊利诺伊大学的这个项目将努力提高学术机构的能力，使有STEM能力的残疾学生能够进入地球科学职业的教育途径。为了支持这项活动，并进行相关的STEM教育研究，首席研究员（PI）将追求学习经验，这将建立她在STEM教育研究方面的能力。专业发展计划针对五个领域：教育模式，混合研究方法，统计分析，指导，指导教育研究的研究生，以及开发和传播对齐的手稿。目标是利用这些技能，通过减少被认为对融入教育和劳动力的障碍的影响，增加残疾人在地球科学中的包容性和可及性。 PI计划研究支持这些成果的社区的动机，包括地球科学雇主。除了PI之外，还有一个由四名专家顾问组成的团队，他们将每两个月举行一次会议，审查和评估方法、项目数据、残疾问题解决和地球科学教育方面的进展，并指导和指导PI。项目成果将通过定期参加适当的专业会议、在相关社区的期刊上发表文章以及通过在受赠机构的图书馆系统储存库中存档（去识别）的数据和其他研究产品来提供。该项目得到了NSF教育核心研究：STEM教育研究能力建设（ECR：BCSER）项目的支持，该项目旨在培养研究人员开展高质量STEM教育研究的能力。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。