RII-BEC: Securing STEM Island Pathways

该奖项的全部或部分资金来自《2021年美国救援计划法案》(公共法律117-2)。在美属维尔京群岛，科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)学位的获得者经常面临不确定的就业机会和就业滞后，这导致他们从STEM途径过渡到岛上或岛外的其他工作。这一流失对该地区和全国的STEM劳动力都产生了强大的影响，因为USVI人口主要由那些在STEM中代表性不足的种族和民族组成(76%的黑人或非裔美国人，另外17%的西班牙裔任何种族)。与此同时，领土合作伙伴拥有现有的、空缺的和新兴的STEM劳动力需求，这些人可以满足这些需求。向早期职业研究人员提供支持已被证明是防止他们离开STEM职业道路的一种重要方法。该项目将支持来自地球科学界代表性不足群体的13名学位后获得者。获奖者将为当地劳动力职位和维尔京群岛大学(UVI)的研究生院做准备，这是该地区唯一的高等学府，也是该国仅有的三所历史悠久的黑人学院和大学(HBCU)之一，拥有海洋科学硕士学位课程。该项目将记录这些人的进步，并支持他们追求自己的职业兴趣。该项目将增加STEM的多样性和包容性，加强伙伴关系，为唯一位于美国大陆以外的HBCU提供关键支持，并在资源不足的EPSCoR辖区内建立关键能力。安全STEM岛路径项目的目标是(1)通过与领土合作伙伴创造新的短期和长期就业机会，并支持参加UVI的海洋和环境科学硕士项目，稳定UVI学位后接受者的职业道路，(2)增加STEM的职业兴趣、准备和社区意识，并通过这些学位后机会和其他支持结构，如指导、安置协议、通过地方和专业协会的会议，加强技术和职业教育与培训之间的联系，(3)通过创建新的专业网络，将参与者彼此联系起来，并与更多的资源、专业知识和导师联系起来，(4)加强UVI和在该领土和其他地区运营的STEM劳动力合作伙伴之间的现有伙伴关系，并建立新的伙伴关系，同时培养当地和国家的STEM劳动力能力。该项目将利用维尔京群岛EPSCoR和NSF包括海洋岛屿联盟开发的伙伴关系、计划和资源，并在联盟早期成功和基础设施的基础上再接再厉。对于许多人数不足的学位后获得者，尤其是那些受新冠肺炎疫情影响特别大的人来说，该项目为他们度过了一个不确定的关键时期。通过建立STEM职业安置(短期、长期和毕业生)，该项目将有助于减轻STEM劳动力流失和接受者职业生涯的不确定性。该项目有可能成为该地区、其他EPSCoR辖区和国家扩大参与STEM的典范项目。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2).In the U.S. Virgin Islands, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) degree recipients often face uncertain job opportunities and employment lags that result in transitions out of STEM pathways to other on- or off-island employment. This loss has powerful impacts for both the territory’s and the nation’s STEM workforce, as the USVI population consists primarily of those from racial and ethnic groups that are underrepresented in STEM (76% Black or African American, additional 17% Hispanic of any race). Meanwhile, territorial partners have existing, vacant, and emerging STEM workforce needs that could be filled by these individuals. Providing support to early career researchers has been demonstrated as one significant approach to preventing them from leaving STEM career pathways. This project will support 13 post-degree recipients from underrepresented groups in the geosciences. Recipients will be prepared for local workforce positions and graduate school at the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI), the only institution of higher learning in the territory and one of only three Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) in the country with master’s degree programs in marine science. The project will document the progress of these individuals and support them to pursue their career interests. The project will increase diversity and inclusion in STEM, strengthen partnerships, provide critical support to the only HBCU located outside of the continental United States, and build critical capacity within an under-resourced EPSCoR jurisdiction.The goals of the Securing STEM Island Pathways project are to (1) stabilize career pathways for UVI post-degree recipients through the creation of new short- and long-term job opportunities with territorial partners and support to attend UVI’s Masters of Marine and Environmental Science program, (2) increase STEM career interest, readiness, and sense of community, and reduce career anxiety for participants through these post-degree opportunities and other support structures like mentoring, placement agreements, and networking through local and professional society meetings, (3) connect participants to each other and to additional resources, expertise, and mentors, through the creation of new professional networks, and (4) strengthen existing and build new partnerships between UVI and STEM workforce partners operating in the territory and beyond, while building local and national STEM workforce capacity. The project will leverage partnerships, programs, and resources developed by Virgin Islands EPSCoR and the NSF INCLUDES SEAS Islands Alliance and build on the Alliance’s early successes and infrastructure. This project bridges a critical period of uncertainty for many underrepresented post-degree recipients, especially those disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the establishment of STEM career placements (short-term, long-term, and graduate), the project will contribute to mitigation of STEM workforce losses and recipients' career uncertainty. The project has potential to serve as a model program for the territory, other EPSCoR jurisdictions, and the nation for broadening participation in STEM.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.