NSF Org:	DGE Division Of Graduate Education
Recipient:	AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY
Initial Amendment Date:	September 18, 2009
Latest Amendment Date:	August 22, 2010
Award Number:	0958333
Award Instrument:	Standard Grant
Program Manager:	Melur Ramasubramanian DGE  Division Of Graduate Education EDU  Directorate for STEM Education
Start Date:	October 1, 2009
End Date:	March 31, 2011 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount:	$0.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date:	$131,717.00
Funds Obligated to Date:	FY 2009 = $131,717.00
History of Investigator:	Theodore Hodapp (Principal Investigator) hodapp@aps.org Anthony Johnson (Co-Principal Investigator) Cherry Murray (Co-Principal Investigator) Wendell Hill (Former Co-Principal Investigator)
Recipient Sponsored Research Office:	American Physical Society ONE PHYSICS ELL IPSE COLLEGE PARK MD  US  20740-3841 (301)209-3657
Sponsor Congressional District:	04
Primary Place of Performance:	American Physical Society ONE PHYSICS ELL IPSE COLLEGE PARK MD  US  20740-3841
Primary Place of Performance Congressional District:	04
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI):	CE5JV8E9K4S3
Parent UEI:	GQQEEZHBUFC6
NSF Program(s):	IGERT FULL PROPOSALS, CCLI-Type 1 (Exploratory)
Primary Program Source:	04000910DB NSF Education & Human Resource
Program Reference Code(s):	1335, 7916, 9178, 9179, SMET
Program Element Code(s):	133500, 749400
Award Agency Code:	4900
Fund Agency Code:	4900
Assistance Listing Number(s):	47.076

ABSTRACT

Physics as a community ranks at the bottom of science disciplines in educating the growing US population of African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, and Native-Americans. Not only do these ethnic groups remain significantly under-represented at all levels in physics, but there has been essentially no improvement in their relative numbers over the past decade. PhD awards to Black, Hispanic, and Native American citizens are at 1/7th the rate of awards to white and Asian citizens relative to the size of their underlying population. There are 180 PhD programs in physics in American Universities. If 10% of these programs were able to increase their citizen Black and Hispanic graduates by two per year this would double the annual production of minority PhDs in physics.

The American Physical Society, working together with the larger physics community, is taking a leadership role and in activating programs to double the number of PhDs awarded to under-represented minorities (URMs) within the next decade by establishing effective and sustainable bridge programs between top research universities and institutions where undergraduate URMs are educated. There is a substantial body of knowledge that has resulted from several decades of efforts to increase the effective participation of under-represented groups (and all groups) in higher education in STEM fields. In physics there are a growing number of physics education research groups producing important gains in understanding about undergraduates' conceptual difficulties in learning basic physics. Because most of these groups are at major research universities, they are in a position to directly influence physics TA training, which will positively impact the instructional effectiveness in undergraduate physics courses in these institutions.
The focus on doctoral students will have a multiplier effect on attraction and retention of under-represented minority students at the undergraduate, masters, and PhD levels. Successful doctoral students will form a cadre of leaders who can catalyze change throughout the country. Doubling the number of PhD graduates from these groups will create a greater corps of individuals who can take on important leadership roles.
To begin this process APS is reaching out to the students and faculty at minority-serving institutions to establish effective, personal links. It is gathering detailed data directly from these individuals to inform the larger process. Following data collection, APS will bring together leaders from top research universities committed to establishing effective bridge programs. Existing programs and leaders within the physics community are guiding this process. Throughout this process guidance is being provided by a steering committee of knowledgeable individuals committed to improving the attraction and retention of under-represented groups in physics higher education, who have the wherewithal to move the project forward thoughtfully and deliberately. The outcome of this effort will be a set of concrete plans to establish such programs.

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