Graduate Opportunities at Fisk in Astronomy and Astrophysics Research (GO-FAAR)

少数群体在STEM领域的代表性不足是美国劳动力面临的主要挑战之一。尽管少数族裔(URM)约占美国人口的30%，但这一群体仅占美国天文学博士学位的4%，以及教职员工的3%。事实上，一个授予天文学博士学位的项目平均每十年毕业的天文学博士不到1名。认识到这个问题，天文学和天体物理学的新世界、新地平线？美国国家科学院出版的《十年调查》指出，解决这一问题的一个有希望的方法是鼓励为少数族裔服务的机构与研究型大学、国家中心和国家实验室之间建立战略伙伴关系。该奖项将继续支持菲斯克大学和范德比尔特大学之间的Go-Faar伙伴关系，这是一条获得博士学位的途径，大大扩大了未被充分代表的少数群体对天文学的参与。Go-Faar的主要组成部分是非常成功的菲斯克-范德比尔特硕士到博士桥项目。FISK的学生与范德比尔特的教职员工建立了一对一的关系，参与了大量的天文学研究项目，许多人最终在范德比尔特攻读博士学位。到目前为止，该项目特别有效，成为全国天文学和天体物理学URM博士学位的顶级生产者。这个续展奖项将使Fisk和Vanderbilt的项目制度化，并将其方法确立为国家模式。NSF的资金将支持以下主要目标：(1)将FISK大学、范德比尔特大学和其他研究伙伴之间的关系完全制度化，并坚定地将FISK作为对天文研究界的主要贡献者；(2)将在美国获得天文学和天体物理学博士学位的URM数量增加75%，以维持这一水平，并使美国天文和天体物理学劳动力多样化。(3)通过项目组成部分的工具包、培训研讨会以及持续的咨询和监督，向附属机构(将在全国范围内招聘)提供Bridge方法论。因此，NSF资助的效果是倍增的，因为预计还会产生许多其他的Bridge计划；(4)在Fisk推出一个全国性的博士后奖学金计划，旨在将URM引入教师职业生涯。参与Go-Faar的其他研究伙伴包括斯隆数字天空调查、NASA Goddard&amp；#8232；该奖项由(1)天文学与天体物理研究与教育司(PAARE)计划；(2)数学与物理科学局多学科活动办公室(OMA)提供支持；(2)数学与物理科学局的多学科活动办公室(OMA)；(3)物理教育与跨学科研究(EIR)计划；(3)物理教育与跨学科研究(EIR)计划；和(4)历史上的黑人高校人力资源开发部-本科项目(HBCU-UP)。

The underrepresentation of minorities in STEM fields is one of the major challenges facing the United States workforce. Although underrepresented minorities (URMs) make up approximately 30% of the U.S. population, this cohort accounts for only 4 percent of astronomy Ph.D.s awarded in the U.S., as well as just 3 percent of faculty members. Indeed, an average Ph.D. granting program in astronomy will graduate fewer than 1 URM Ph.D. recipient per decade. Recognizing this problem, the ?New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics? Decadal Survey, published by the National Academies, noted that a promising way to address this problem is to encourage strategic partnerships between minority-serving institutions and research universities, national centers, and national laboratories. This award will provide continued support of the GO-FAAR partnership between Fisk University and Vanderbilt University, which is a pathway to the Ph.D. that substantially broadens the participation of underrepresented minorities in astronomy. The principal component of GO-FAAR is the extraordinarily successful Fisk-Vanderbilt Masters-to-Ph.D. Bridge program. Fisk students establish one-on-one relationships with faculty at Vanderbilt, engage in substantial astronomy research projects, and many ultimately end up pursuing Ph.D. programs at Vanderbilt. The program has been particularly effective to date, becoming the top producer of URM Ph.D.s in astronomy and astrophysics in the country.This renewal award will institutionalize the program at Fisk and Vanderbilt, and establish its methods as a national model. NSF funding will support the following key objectives:(1) To fully institutionalize the relationship between Fisk University, Vanderbilt University, and other research partners, and to firmly embed Fisk as a major contributor to the astronomical research community;(2) To increase by 75% the number of URMs earning astronomy and astrophysics Ph.D.s in the US, to sustain this level, and to diversify the U.S. astronomy and astrophysics workforce.(3) To offer the Bridge methodology to Affiliate institutions (to be recruited nationally) through a program components 'toolkit,' training workshops, and on-going consultation and supervision. The effect of NSF funding is therefore multiplicative, since it is expected that numerous other Bridge programs will result;(4) To launch a nationally competitive postdoctoral fellowship program at Fisk, which is designed to launch URMs into faculty careers.Other research partners involved in GO-FAAR include the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, NASA Goddard
Space Flight Center, National Solar Observatory, University of Chicago, Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, Lowell Observatory/Tennessee State University, National Academy of Sciences, American Physical Society, Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Southeastern Universities Research Association, and South African Astronomical Observatory.Support for this award is provided by (1) the Division of Astronomical Sciences Partnerships in Astronomy & Astrophysics Research and Education (PAARE) program; (2) the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities (OMA) in the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences; (3) the Division of Physics Education and Interdisciplinary Research (EIR) program; and (4) the Division of Human Resource Development Historically Black Colleges and Universities - Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP).