Analyzing the Impact of the Meyerhoff Scholarship Program: Pathways to the STEM P

描述(由申请人提供)：本提案旨在加强马里兰大学巴尔的摩县分校(UMBC)迈耶霍夫奖学金计划(MSP)参与者对获得博士学位途径的了解，并为声称该计划的影响奠定更坚实的因果基础。该计划的主要重点是增加代表不足的少数族裔科学家和工程师的数量，特别是非裔美国人。MSP为实现这一目标提供了一系列全面的支持，包括：以科学、技术、工程或数学(STEM)专业保持B平均分为条件的综合财务方案；为期6周的大一新生暑期桥计划；定期监督和支持学生的全职顾问；家庭式的社会和学术支持系统；广泛的教职员工参与(包括作为研究导师)；以及参加暑期研究实习。我们利用一系列的定量和定性方法来加强对为什么一些MSP参与者攻读和完成博士学位而其他参与者没有(研究1和2)的理解，并比较MSP参与者和非参与者的对照样本的教育结果(研究3)。我们的第一个具体目标是测试一个概念模型，将大学前学生的特征与学生在MSP中的经历和在大学的成功联系起来，进而测试从这些大学变量到博士攻读和获得的途径。这方面的研究将采用结构方程模型。第二个特别的目标是提供一个非常详细的，实时的学生路径的变化，在本科生和研究生水平的变化。这方面的研究将采用混合方法，逐学期设计。我们的第三个具体目标是通过使用两种方法来建立关于迈耶霍夫奖学金计划有效性的更强有力的因果推断，这两种方法避免了过去评估MSP和其他具有类似目标的干预策略的影响时可能存在的许多潜在偏见来源。具体地说，倾向得分匹配和回归间断设计将用于研究的最后一个方面。 公共卫生相关声明：鉴于MSP的主要重点是增加代表性不足的少数族裔科学家的数量，以及该项目迄今为止进入并完成科学、技术、工程和数学博士学位的非裔美国人毕业生的数量很多，研究结果将对增进了解以及改进计划和政策努力以增加我国少数族裔科学家的数量具有重要意义。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal is designed to enhance understanding of the pathways to the PhD among Meyerhoff Scholarship Program (MSP) participants at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), and to develop a more solid causal foundation for claims of the program's impact. The primary program emphasis is to increase the number of underrepresented minority scientists and engineers, especially African American. MSP brings to bear a comprehensive array of supports toward achievement of this goal, including: a comprehensive financial package, contingent upon maintaining a B average in a science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) major; a pre-freshmen year 6-week Summer Bridge Program; full-time advisors who monitor and support students on a regular basis; a family-like social and academic support system; widespread faculty involvement (including as research mentors); and participation in summer research internships. We utilize an array of quantitative and qualitative methods to enhance understanding of why some MSP participants pursue and complete PhDs while others do not (Studies 1 and 2), and to compare the educational outcomes of MSP participants with comparison samples of non-participants (Study 3). Our first specific aim is to test a conceptual model linking pre-college student characteristics to student experience in the MSP and success in college, and in turn, the pathways from these college variables to PhD pursuit and receipt. Structural equation modeling will be used in this aspect of the research. The second specific aim is to provide an exceptionally detailed, real-time exploration of changes in student pathways to the PhD at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. A mixed method, semester-by-semester design will be employed for this aspect of the research. Our third specific aim is to establish stronger causal inferences regarding the efficacy of the Meyerhoff Scholarship Program by using two approaches that avoid many of the potential sources of bias that may be present in past efforts to estimate the impact of the MSP and other intervention strategies with similar goals. Specifically, propensity score matching and a regression discontinuity design will be used for this final aspect of the research. Public Health Relevance Statement: Given the MSP's primary emphasis on increasing the number of underrepresented minority scientists, and the high numbers of African American graduates of the program who have entered and completed science, technology, engineering and mathematics PhDs to date, the findings of the research will have important implications for increased understanding as well as improved programmatic and policy efforts to enhance the number of minority scientists in our nation.