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Research
and Evaluation
on Education
in Science
and Engineering
(REESE)
Dear
Colleague:
On
behalf of the Division
of Graduate Education
(DGE) in the Directorate
for Education and
Human Resources
(EHR) we call your
attention to an
opportunity to request
support for research
and evaluation projects
focused on graduate
education. This
opportunity is embedded
in the Research
and Evaluation on
Education in Science
and Engineering (REESE)
program managed
by the Division
of Research on Learning
in Formal and Informal
Settings (DRL) in
EHR. The REESE Program
Solicitation (NSF
07-595) can be viewed
at: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2007/nsf07595/nsf07595.htm
DGE
seeks proposals
that have the potential
to strengthen research
on graduate education
in science, technology,
engineering, and
mathematics (STEM).
As examples, we
encourage proposals
that can contribute
to our knowledge
about how to successfully
broaden participation
in graduate-level
education programs
and proposals that
investigate the
effectiveness of
new trends and challenges
in graduate STEM
education. Successful
proposals will demonstrate
expertise in both
the disciplines
being studied and
research methodology.
In principle this
can be achieved
by selecting a team
of co-PIs that bridge
knowledge of STEM
disciplines with
expertise in education
research or social
science research
methods.
We
seek to build a
research community
that can more effectively
address current
issues, trends and
questions in STEM
graduate education,
such as:
- How
can we improve the retention
and graduation rates
of STEM graduate students?
- What
is the impact
of increased
mentoring on
the success
of graduate
students?
- What
are the implications
for student
learning that
emerge from
STEM research
fields, particularly
cross-disciplinary
ones?
- What
changes in skills
are expected
for STEM professionals
and how these
are communicated
to graduate
programs?
- What
are the effects
on graduate
education of
growing international
cooperation
in research
and education?
- What
are uses of
new technologies
(including new
cyber infrastructure
developments)
in both education
and research?
- What
factors influence
the speed of
diffusion of
new methods
of graduate
education or
the diffusion
of new programs
in emerging
STEM disciplines?
and
- How
can we advance
the understanding
of the causes
and effects
of progress
in and barriers
to broadening
participation
in STEM graduate
education?
The
following NSF-supported
projects are representative
of the current education
research portfolio
in graduate STEM
education:
Connie
L. McNeely, Jong-on
Hahm, David H. Kamens
(George Mason University), Institutional
Diffusion and Organizational
Impacts on STEM
Women in Higher
Education, NSF
award 0633950. This
study will investigate
the institutional
diffusion of policies
and practices aimed
at increasing the
number or women
in the various science,
technology, engineering,
and mathematics
(STEM) fields in
U.S. universities. While
the study builds
upon previous efforts
directed at individual
and career level
outcomes, this study
will examine institutional
level changes and
effects relative
to gender diversity
in graduate education
and the STEM professoriate. See:
http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=0633950
Bianca
Bernstein (Arizona
State University), CareerBound:
Internet-Delivered
Resilience Training
to Increase the
Persistence of Women
Ph.D. Students in
STEM Fields,
NSF award 0634519. The
study is addressing
the question of
whether deliberate
resilience training
delivered via the
Internet can strengthen
women doctoral students'
persistence in physical
sciences, engineering
and mathematics,
fields where women
display high rates
of attrition even
as their numbers
in doctoral programs
have continued to
rise. An internet-based,
multimedia-enhanced
program is being
developed and evaluated
for its effectiveness
in reducing attrition
and strengthening
career aspirations
and personal skills
of female doctoral
students in selected
fields at multiple
universities. Grounded
in the literatures
of career development,
self-efficacy, and
empirically supported
interventions and
instructional tools,
the set of personal
and psychosocial
skills are addressed
as "resilience
skills" and
the psycho-educational
strategy to strengthen
these skills as "resilience
training." See:
http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=0634519
Maresi
Nerad (University
of Washington), Forces
and Forms of Change
in Doctoral Education
Worldwide II: A
Research Synthesis
Workshop,
NSF award 0701317. This
synthesis workshop
is addressing a
critical issue facing
STEM graduate education – worldwide
changes in the forces
and forms of doctoral
education. The synthesis
project is part
of a multi-year
project to establish
an international
network of leaders
in doctoral education
research and innovation
to synthesize existing
research and knowledge
in five critical
dimensions of globalization
in doctoral education.
They are: (1) the
impacts of globalization
in labor markets
on doctoral education;
(2) the problem
of tensions between
national interests
and global science;
(3) the competencies
of Ph.D. holders
worldwide; (4) the
usefulness of existing
data for evaluation
of doctoral education
cross-nationally;
and (5) the problem
of evaluation and
quality assurance
as doctoral education
globalizes.
http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=0701317
Sandra
L. Laursen (University
of Colorado), Professional
Socialization and
Career Selection
in Ph.D. Science
Education: An Empirical
Research Study,
NSF award 0723600. This
project is examining
the professional
socialization and
career choices of
scientists through
an in-depth, qualitative
investigation of
professional socialization
in science Ph.D.
programs, employing
an embedded case
study design. This
design is structured
as a comparative,
ethnographic study
of science graduate
students, faculty,
and staff to address
the question: "What
are the elements
and processes of
professional socialization-
both manifest and
latent - by which
science graduate
students come to
understand their
profession and their
own fit within it,
and how do these
shape their career
selection and progress."
http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=0723600
We
encourage knowledge
diffusion projects
(e.g., research
syntheses) for durations
of one to two years
not to exceed $250,000,
empirical projects
for durations of
up to three years
with project budgets
up to $1 million,
and large
empirical projects
for durations of
five years and project
budgets up to $2
million. The synthesis
projects will permit
investigators to
develop rigorous
research designs,
techniques, and
methods and to forge
partnerships with
researchers representing
appropriate disciplines
and areas of expertise.
Proposers should
review the REESE
Program Solicitation
to ensure that eligibility
requirements are
met.
For
further information: (703)
292-8650 or DRLREESE@nsf.gov
We
look forward to
reviewing innovative
and competitive
proposals.
Sincerely,
Carol
Stoel, Acting Director
Division
of Graduate Education
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