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

描述（由申请人提供）：本提案旨在增进马里兰大学巴尔的摩县（UMBC）迈耶霍夫奖学金计划（MSP）参与者对博士学位途径的理解，并为该计划的影响提出更坚实的因果基础。该项目的主要重点是增加未被充分代表的少数族裔科学家和工程师的数量，特别是非洲裔美国人。MSP为实现这一目标提供了一系列全面的支持，包括：全面的财务方案，取决于在科学，技术，工程或数学（STEM）专业保持平均B；大一前为期6周的暑期桥梁项目；全职顾问，定期监督和支持学生；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）；参加暑期研究实习。我们利用一系列定量和定性方法来加强理解为什么一些MSP参与者追求并完成博士学位，而另一些则没有（研究1和2），并比较MSP参与者与非参与者的比较样本的教育成果（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的经历和大学的成功联系起来，反过来，从这些大学变量到博士追求和获得的途径。在这方面的研究将采用结构方程模型。第二个具体目标是提供一个非常详细的，实时探索学生在本科和研究生阶段攻读博士学位的途径的变化。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Meyerhoff奖学金计划有效性的更强的因果推论，这两种方法可以避免许多潜在的偏见来源，这些偏见可能存在于过去估计MSP和其他具有类似目标的干预策略的影响的努力中。具体来说，倾向得分匹配和回归不连续设计将用于研究的最后一个方面。

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.