Collaborative Research: Mapping professional support networks of women and gender and sexual minorities in physics

该项目是犹他州大学作为牵头机构和西密歇根大学和赖特州立大学作为合作伙伴之间的合作，以调查妇女和性别和性少数群体（GSM）如何构建和导航他们的专业网络，以支持他们的博士后物理职业生涯。我们的目标是使用社会网络分析与定性的方法来表征的专业支持网络的妇女和GSM物理学家来测试中心的假设：这些物理学家的专业支持网络将包括大量的场外或场外的层次元素和就业部门可能会出现显着的差异。 具体目标是（1）确定GSM物理学家所经历的专业支持网络的类型，（2）比较不同GSM身份之间的专业支持网络和职业轨迹，（3）比较物理就业部门之间的专业支持网络特征，以及（4）将结果合成为可以分发给更广泛的科学家受众的专业支持网络调查。 该项目将提供对这些不断变化的角色和结构的细致入微的理解，目标是扩大代表性不足或边缘化群体对物理学的参与。 该项目将采用立场理论来调查与项目目标一致的研究问题。该框架激发了深入数据收集的重要性，以个人的众多经验为中心。它还表明，来自服务不足群体的个人不应与来自多数群体的人进行比较，但调查人员应关注他们的声音和生活中的知识生产。调查人员将进行半结构化访谈，以解决三个研究问题：（1）如何在物理学的妇女和GSM的专业支持网络的特点？(2)物理学领域的女性和GSM对自己的职业轨迹和目前的工作满意度如何？什么样的网络模式与更高的满意度和职业认同感相关？(3)就业部门之间存在哪些相似性和差异？ 调查人员将使用定性方法来分析和编码参与者调查和自我网络分析，重点探索女性和GSM物理学家的专业网络。该项目为大学、专业协会和导师提供指导，以更好地了解妇女和全球通科学家的专业网络需求。 该项目由EHR核心研究计划资助，该计划支持以STEM学习和学习环境为重点的基础研究，扩大STEM领域的参与，以及STEM专业人才队伍的发展。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并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。

This project is a collaboration among the University of Utah as the lead institution and Western Michigan University and Wright State University as partners to investigate how women and gender and sexual minorities (GSM) construct and navigate their professional networks to support their post PhD physics careers. The goal is to use social network analysis with qualitative methods to characterize the professional support networks of women and GSM physicists to test the central hypothesis: professional support networks of these physicists will include substantial out-of-field or out-of-hierarchy elements and that significant differences may appear by employment sector. The specific aims are to (1) identify the types of professional support networks experienced by GSM physicists, (2) compare professional support networks and career trajectories between different GSM identities, (3) compare professional support network characteristics among physics employment sectors, and (4) synthesize results into a professional support network survey that can be distributed to a wider scientist audience. The project will provide a nuanced understanding of these changing roles and structures with the goal of broadening participation in physics for underrepresented or marginalized groups. The project will employ standpoint theory to investigate research questions that are aligned with the project aims. The framework motivates the importance of in-depth data collection that centers an individual with their multitude of experiences. It also suggests that individuals from underserved groups should not be compared to those from majority groups, but investigators should focus knowledge production from their voices and lives. Investigators will conduct semi-structured interviews to address three research questions: (1) How are the professional support networks of women and GSM in physics characterized? (2) How satisfied are women and GSM in physics with their career trajectories and current jobs? What network patterns are associated with higher satisfaction and sense of professional identity? (3) What similarities and differences exist among employment sectors? Investigators will use qualitative methods to analyze and code participant surveys and ego network analysis to focus the exploration of the professional networks of women and GSM physicists. The project contributes guidance for universities, professional societies, and mentors to better understand the professional network needs of women and GSM scientists. The project is funded by the EHR Core Research program that supports fundamental research focused on STEM learning and learning environments, broadening participation in STEM fields, and STEM professional workforce development.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.