EAGER: Exploring Customized STEM Employment Approaches for People with Disabilities

该项目正在进行早期阶段的探索性研究，以调查定制的就业方法，重组STEM工作场所环境和就业做法，以增加中学后残疾学生的入学机会和包容性。这项工作反映了早期概念的探索性研究赠款（EAGER）奖。辛辛那提大学与西门子公司合作，解决两个研究问题：1）定制的就业方法可以用来创造既满足STEM雇主和智障人士（ID）的需求的就业机会吗？2）什么工具最能支持雇主和残疾专家确定STEM职位？使用多案例研究方法，研究人员正在收集和分析来自雇主和员工访谈，工作场所观察和员工写作样本的数据。该项目包括一个咨询委员会，由ID个人、ID家庭成员和STEM雇主组成。有一名外部评估员向研究人员提供反馈，并评估研究的成功与否。 这项研究是为了响应STEM和STEM教育中残疾人的工作场所公平（NSF 23-593）而创建的。征集活动支持基础，应用和转化研究，促进有关多样，公平，包容和无障碍STEM和STEM教育工作场所以及残疾人中学后培训环境的知识和实践。EAGER的提案在早期阶段探索了未经测试但可能具有变革性的研究想法或方法。EAGER项目必须专注于征集的三个研究主题中的一个或多个，该奖项侧重于征集的第一个研究主题：“研究STEM工作场所和中学后培训环境中多样性，公平性，包容性和可访问性的障碍和解决方案。该项目产生的研究结果为STEM行业雇主如何构建职位描述提供了信息，为残疾技术熟练工人创造更具包容性的机会。项目活动和成果有可能被其他调查人员用于进行基础和/或应用研究，以进一步研究STEM中残疾人的定制就业。项目团队正在专业会议上展示研究成果，并使用社交媒体播客。 这个工作场所平等的残疾人在干和干教育奖是由美国国家科学基金会的埃迪伯尼采约翰逊包括倡议，该奖项旨在激励和加速合作努力，以推动和维持系统性变革，扩大对STEM的大规模参与。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查进行评估，被认为值得支持的搜索.

This project is conducting early-stage, exploratory research to investigate customized employment approaches for restructuring STEM workplace settings and employment practices to increase access and inclusion for postsecondary students with disabilities. The work reflects that of an EArly-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) award. The University of Cincinnati is partnering with Siemens Corporation to address two research questions: 1) Can customized employment approaches be used to create jobs that meet both the needs of STEM employers and individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID)? and 2) What tools best support employers and disability specialists in identifying STEM positions? Using a multiple case study approach, the researchers are gathering and analyzing data from employer and employee interviews, workplace observations, and employee writing samples. The project includes an advisory board with individuals with ID, family members of people with ID, and STEM employers. There is an external evaluator to provide feedback to the investigators and to assess the success of the research. This research was created in response to the Workplace Equity for Persons with Disabilities in STEM and STEM Education solicitation (NSF 23-593). The solicitation activities support fundamental, applied, and translational research that advances knowledge and practice about diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible STEM and STEM education workplaces and postsecondary training environments for persons with disabilities. The solicitation states that EAGER proposals explore work in its early stages on untested but potentially transformative research ideas or approaches. EAGER projects must focus on one or more of the solicitation's three research themes and this award focuses on the solicitation’s first research theme: “studying barriers and solutions to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in STEM workplaces and postsecondary training settings.” The research findings that are being generated from this project inform how STEM industry employers structure job descriptions to create more inclusive opportunities for technically skilled workers with disabilities. There is potential for the project activities and the results to be used by other investigators to conduct fundamental and/or applied research to further study customized employment for persons with disabilities in STEM. The project team is presenting the research at professional conferences and using social media podcasting. This Workplace Equity for Persons with Disabilities in STEM and STEM Education award was funded by the NSF’s Eddie Bernice Johnson INCLUDES Initiative, which seeks to motivate and accelerate collaborative efforts to advance and sustain systemic change that broadens participation in STEM at scale.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.