IGE: Enhancing Diversity by Changing Institutional Culture and Scaffolding Student Success

种族、族裔和性别多样性增强创造力，对持续创新、企业活动和全球竞争力至关重要。然而，研究生层次的多样化仍然是许多大学面临的主要挑战。需要的是一种全面、可扩展和具有成本效益的方法，可以解决以下问题：族裔/种族多样性低；博士学位完成率低，在研究生院取得成功以及在科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）领域从事学术、私营部门和专业职业的准备不足。这项授予内华达大学里诺分校的国家科学基金会研究生教育创新（IGE）奖将测试一种新的招聘、保留和职业准备方法，以增加第一代大学生和历史上代表性不足群体的学生在STEM研究生教育中的代表性。在研究生院的前一年半，学生将参加两个为期三周的夏季训练营，以及额外的专业发展、指导和社会网络支持活动。该项目的独特元素包括：(1)有意发展招聘/保留的积极反馈循环，(2)家庭/社区参与以加强支持团体，以及(3)培训市场技能（例如通过虚拟现实平台进行沟通）。该项目的成果将产生关于招募和保留历史上代表性不足人口的最佳做法的新知识。虽然该项目主要侧重于招聘、保留和为历史上代表性不足的研究生群体做好职业准备，但也涉及五个主要领域。具体而言，该项目将测试干预措施并比较对照组和实验组的结果，以检查以下方面的潜在变化：(1)学业成绩和研究质量，(2)非经济家庭支持，(3)完成学位和职业安置的便利性，(4)招聘和保留，以及(5)学生的研究和沟通技巧。干预措施包括定量学科和可转移技能模块、社会支持网络以及加强指导和导师培训。形成性/总结性评估和假设检验程序将包括调查、学业成绩比较、课程评估、焦点小组、一对一访谈、社会网络访谈、对学生/家庭成员的家庭参与研究生院评估和对教师的国家资源指导网络调查。干预措施将单独和集体进行评估，以确定学生和教师的参与是否能通过正反馈循环提高研究生教育成果，改善导师/学员关系，并加强对历史上代表性不足的群体和第一代学生的招募。研究生教育创新（IGE）项目专注于研究生教育的研究。IGE的目标是试点、测试和验证研究生教育的创新方法，并产生将这些方法推广到更广泛的社区所需的知识。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Racial, ethnic and gender diversity enhances creativity and is essential for sustained innovation, entrepreneurial activity and global competitiveness. However, diversification at the graduate level remains a major challenge for many universities. What is needed is a comprehensive, scalable and cost-effective approach that can address: low ethnic/racial diversity; low doctoral degree completion rates, and inadequate preparation to succeed in graduate school and pursue academic, private sector and professional careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). This National Science Foundation Innovations in Graduate Education (IGE) award to the University of Nevada, Reno will test a novel recruitment, retention and career preparedness approach for increasing the representation of first-generation college students and students from historically underrepresented groups in STEM graduate education. Students will be engaged in two 3-week summer boot camps as well as additional professional development, mentoring, and social network support activities during the first 1.5 years of graduate school. Unique elements of this project include (1) intentional development of a recruitment/retention positive feedback loop, (2) family/community involvement to enhance support groups, and (3) training in marketable skills (e.g. communication via virtual reality platforms). Outcomes from this project will generate new knowledge concerning best practices for recruitment and retention of historically underrepresented populations. While this project is broadly focused on recruitment, retention and career preparedness for historically underrepresented groups of graduate students, there are five major areas being addressed. Specifically, the project will test interventions and compare results across control and test groups to examine potential changes in: (1) academic performance and research quality, (2) non-financial family support, (3) ease of navigation toward degree completion and career placement, (4) recruitment and retention, and (5) student research and communication skills. Interventions include quantitative disciplinary and transferrable skills modules, social support networks and enhanced mentoring and mentor training. Formative/summative assessment and hypothesis testing procedures will include surveys, academic performance comparisons, course evaluations, focus groups, one-on-one interviews, social network interviews, FIG (Family Involvement in Graduate School) assessment of students/family members and National Resource Mentoring Network surveys of faculty members. Interventions will be evaluated individually and collectively to determine whether student and faculty participation enhanced graduate education outcomes, improved mentor/mentee relationships and enhanced recruitment of historically underrepresented groups and first-generation students through positive feedback loops. The Innovations in Graduate Education (IGE) program is focused on research in graduate education. The goals of IGE are to pilot, test and validate innovative approaches to graduate education and to generate the knowledge required to move these approaches into the broader community.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.