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

描述（由申请人提供）：本提案旨在加强对巴尔的摩县（UMBC）马里兰州大学Meyerhoff奖学金计划（MSP）参与者的博士学位途径的理解，并为该计划的影响索赔建立更坚实的因果关系基础。该计划的主要重点是增加代表性不足的少数民族科学家和工程师的数量，特别是非洲裔美国人。MSP带来承担支持实现这一目标的全面阵列，包括：一个全面的财务方案，取决于在科学，技术，工程或数学（STEM）专业保持B平均水平;预新生一年6周的夏桥计划;全职顾问谁定期监测和支持学生;一个家庭式的社会和学术支持系统;广泛的教师参与（包括作为研究导师）;并参与暑期研究实习。我们利用一系列定量和定性的方法，以提高为什么一些MSP参与者追求和完成博士学位，而其他人没有（研究1和2）的理解，并比较MSP参与者的教育成果与非参与者的比较样本（研究3）。我们的第一个具体目标是测试一个概念模型，将大学预科学生的特征与MSP中的学生经历和大学的成功联系起来，进而从这些大学变量到博士追求和接收的途径。在这方面的研究中将使用结构方程模型。第二个具体目标是提供一个非常详细的，实时的探索学生的途径，以博士学位在本科和研究生水平的变化。本研究将采用一学期一学期的混合研究方法。我们的第三个具体目标是通过使用两种方法，避免许多潜在的偏见来源，可能存在于过去的努力，以估计MSP和其他干预策略的影响与类似的目标，以建立更强的因果关系的推断关于迈耶霍夫奖学金计划的有效性。具体而言，倾向评分匹配和回归不连续性设计将用于研究的最后一个方面。 公共卫生相关性声明：鉴于MSP的主要重点是增加代表性不足的少数民族科学家的数量，以及迄今为止已经进入并完成科学，技术，工程和数学博士学位的非裔美国人毕业生的数量，研究结果将对增加理解以及改善计划和政策努力以提高我国少数民族科学家的数量产生重要影响。

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.