Post-college Pathways: A Longitudinal Study of Biomedical and Behavioral Science

描述(由申请者提供)：建议的项目考察了有志于生物医学和行为科学研究事业的学生的教育和职业道路，阐述了他们在成为科学家的多样性和社会化方面的经历，获得资源的途径，以及在本科生和研究生水平参与学术环境的经历。在坚实的基础和初步的实证工作已经完成的情况下，该项目计划收集毕业后的数据，以了解大学生在进入研究生涯的道路上经历的关键转折点。基准数据是在2004年秋季收集的，对象是来自694个机构的70,249名学生，他们最初对生物医学或行为科学专业感兴趣(即大一开始可能学习的领域)。在抽样的基础上，从160所高校中随机抽取了有抱负的学生人数作为比较样本，并对他们进行了跟踪调查，直到大学一年级和四年级结束。资金要求在大学入学后的第五年返回原始样本进行数据收集，以确定另外12,129名被保留在该专业的学生，并跟踪41,347名学生在大学毕业后进入研究生院或专业学校、攻读学士学位后的课程以及在论坛领域与工作相关的经历。这项为期七年的纵向研究考虑了学生在不同类型的大学的倾向和能力、社交和准备情况，以确定产生预期结果的重要大学经历，包括留住专业、毕业、申请和进入研究生院。多层次建模技术将有助于确定心理和大学环境因素(包括参与NIH项目)对学生为研究生涯做准备的重大贡献。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The proposed project examines the educational and career pathways of students aspiring to biomedical and behavioral science research careers, addressing their experiences with diversity and socialization in becoming a scientist, access to resources, and engagement in academic settings at the undergraduate and graduate levels. With a strong foundation and preliminary empirical work already completed, the project plans post-baccalaureate data collection to understand the key transition points that college students experience along the path to a research career. Baseline data were collected in Fall 2004 on 70,249 students from 694 institutions with an initial interest (i.e., probable field of study at the start of freshman year) in biomedical or behavioral science majors. Basing the sample on the number of underrepresented student aspirants, a random comparative, student sample was selected from 160 colleges and universities and were followed up through the end of their first year of college and the fourth year of college. Funds are requested to return to the original sample for data collection at the fifth year after college entry to identify an additional 12,129 students who were retained in the major and to follow the post-college pathways of 41,347 students into graduate or professional school, post-baccalaureate programs, and work-related experiences in BBS fields. This seven-year longitudinal study accounts for student predispositions and abilities, socialization, and preparation at different types of colleges to determine significant college experiences that result in desired outcomes, including retention in the major, graduation, and application and enrollment in graduate school. Multilevel modeling techniques will help determine the significant contributions of psychological and college environmental factors (including participation in NIH programs) that prepare students for research careers.