GSE/RES Collaborative Research: Recruitment and Retention of Women in Geosciences: An Investigation of Individual and Environmental Factors

智力优势：这一拟议的合作研究项目的目标是为增加获得美国大学地球科学本科学位的妇女比例所需的知识做出贡献。在过去6年中，获得地球科学本科学位的女性比例一直停滞在40%左右，而女性仅占在职地球科学家的20%左右。美国地质研究所报告说，40%的水平可能代表了女性地球科学毕业生的上限。大多数其他STEM领域比地球科学更接近实现性别平等。很少有实证研究调查为什么女性主修地球科学，或者女性的选择如何不同于男性的选择，并坚持在地球科学学位。这项研究将填补这一研究空白，研究为什么一些地球科学项目比其他项目更成功地招募和保留了高比例的女学生。具体来说，研究人员将研究地球科学课程，学生和教师的特点，在一组大学与女性地球科学学生高于平均毕业和另一组大学与女性地球科学学生低于平均毕业。本研究将以社会认知生涯理论为指导，采用混合研究方法。更广泛的影响：该项目将有助于增加获得美国大学地球科学本科学位的妇女比例所需的知识。最终，这可能会增加选择地球科学职业的女性比例。将向各地球科学系广泛传播结果，以征聘和留住地球科学专业的女生，包括就可能实现性别均等的具体步骤提出建议。

Intellectual Merit: The goal of this proposed collaborative research project is to contribute to the knowledge needed to increase the proportion of women receiving undergraduate geoscience degrees from U.S. universities. The proportion of women earning undergraduate geoscience degrees has stagnated at approximately 40% for the past 6 years, while women constitute only about 20% of working geoscientists. The American Geological Institute reports that the 40% level may represent a ceiling for female geoscience graduates. Most other STEM fields are closer than the geosciences to achieving gender parity. Little empirical research has investigated why women major in geoscience or how women's choices differ from men's choices to select and persist in a geoscience degree. This study would fill this research gap by studying why some geoscience programs are more successful than others at recruiting and retaining a high percentage of female students. Specifically, the researchers will study the characteristics of geoscience programs, students, and faculty at one set of universities with above-average graduation of female geoscience students and another set of universities with below-average graduation of female geoscience students. The study would be guided by Social Cognitive Career Theory and will use mixed methods research methods. Broader Impacts: This project will contribute to the knowledge needed to increase the proportion of women receiving undergraduate geoscience degrees from U.S. universities. Ultimately, this may increase the proportion of women choosing geosciences careers. Results will be disseminated widely to geosciences departments for recruiting and retaining female geosciences majors including recommendations for concrete steps that may achieve gender parity.