| NSF Org: |
EES Div. of Equity for Excellence in STEM |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | September 12, 2016 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | March 2, 2022 |
| Award Number: | 1649344 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Mark Leddy
EES Div. of Equity for Excellence in STEM EDU Directorate for STEM Education |
| Start Date: | October 1, 2016 |
| End Date: | June 30, 2022 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $285,769.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $285,769.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
321-A INGRAM HALL AUBURN AL US 36849-0001 (334)844-4438 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
Samford Hall Auburn University AL US 36849-0001 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | Eddie Bernice Johnson INCLUDES |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.076 |
ABSTRACT
Auburn University, Alabama State University, Tuskegee University and Vanderbilt University will lead this Design and Development Launch Pilot to form the SouthEast Alliance for Persons with Disabilities in STEM (SEAPD-STEM), eventually creating a network of 21 universities and colleges, as well as additional community colleges and high schools, in the southeastern U.S. and Washington, DC. This project was created in response to the Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science (NSF INCLUDES) program solicitation (NSF 16-544). The INCLUDES program is a comprehensive national initiative designed to enhance U.S. leadership in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) discoveries and innovations focused on NSF's commitment to diversity, inclusion, and broadening participation in these fields. The INCLUDES Design and Development Launch Pilots represent bold, innovative ways for solving a broadening participation challenge in STEM.
The full participation of all of America's STEM talent is critical to the advancement of science and engineering for national security, health and prosperity. Our nation is advancing knowledge and practices to address the STEM education practices for recruiting, better educating, retaining and graduating STEM secondary and postsecondary students with disabilities (SWDs) at our nation's high schools, colleges and universities. However SWDs historically underperform in STEM at the secondary and postsecondary levels. This project, NSF INCLUDES: SEAPD-STEM, has the potential to significantly advance a collaborative approach by a group of organizations to improve the success of SWDs in STEM disciplines.
The project builds on the existing Alabama Alliance for Students with Disabilities in STEM (AASD-STEM), a NSF-funded model, and includes a plan to form a larger regional alliance focused on training STEM SWDs across the academic pathway from high school through postdoctoral training and entry into faculty positions. The collaboration addresses five goals: (1) To increase the quality and quantity of SWDs completing associate, undergraduate, and graduate degrees in STEM disciplines and entering the STEM workforce, (2) To increase the quality and quantity of post-doctoral fellows and junior faculty with disabilities in STEM fields, (3) To improve academic performance of students with disabilities in secondary level science and mathematics courses, (4) To enhance communication and collaboration among post-secondary institutions in addressing the education of SWDs in STEM disciplines, and (5) To assess project activities to understand what works to support the matriculation and retention of STEM SWDs in science followed by broad dissemination through workshops, conference presentations, webinars, and peer-reviewed publications. The team proposes the following project activities in the pilot: (1) Implementing a Bridge Model at 13 partner institutions, including Alabama State University, Auburn University, Auburn University Montgomery, Gallaudet University, Jackson State University, Middle Tennessee State University, Southern Union State Community College, Troy University, Tuskegee University, the University of Alabama Birmingham, the University of Tennessee, the University of West Georgia and Xavier University of Louisiana (2) Implementing SEAPD-STEM training workshops, (3) Implementing NSF INCLUDES Alliances planning workshops in each participating state, at Kennesaw State University, Tougaloo College, the University of Alabama in Hunstville, Vanderbilt University and Xavier University of Louisiana, (4) Gathering enrollment, retention, and graduation baseline data for STEM SWDs by race, ethnicity, and gender at 21 colleges and universities institutions, (5) Identifying high schools and school districts for each of the participating institutions for outreach activities, (6) Adding at least one community college to partner with SEAPD-STEM college or university, (7) Engaging additional partners including national and local labs, non-profits, federal agencies, industry, foundations, and state governments for additional funding and/or internships for participating SEAPD-STEM students. The project team will implement a plan to scale approaches and develop an alliance of institutions to maximize potential project outcomes now and in the future.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
The South East Alliance for Persons with Disabilities in STEM (SEAPD-STEM) was a Design and Development Launch Pilot project of the Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science (NSF INCLUDES) Program. The SEAPD-STEM Alliance built on the work of the previously NSF-funded Alabama Alliance for Students with Disabilities in STEM (AASD-STEM) under the NSF Research in Disability Education (RDE) program.
The SEAPD-STEM Alliance was led by Auburn University, Alabama State University, Tuskegee University, and Vanderbilt University, and worked to address five goals:
(1) To increase the quality and quantity of SWDs completing associate, undergraduate, and graduate degrees in STEM disciplines and entering the STEM workforce,
(2) To increase the quality and quantity of post-doctoral fellows and junior faculty with disabilities in STEM fields,
(3) To improve academic performance of students with disabilities in secondary level science and mathematics courses,
(4) To enhance communication and collaboration among post-secondary institutions in addressing the education of SWDs in STEM disciplines, and
(5) To assess project activities to understand what works to support the matriculation and retention of STEM SWDs in science followed by broad dissemination through workshops, conference presentations, webinars, and peer-reviewed publications.
Over the course of the project, the Alliance supported 119 undergraduate students with disabilities in STEM. Using a Bridge mentoring and retention model, the Alliance provided students with peer mentoring and mentoring from STEM faculty members, monthly large group meetings, weekly small group cluster meetings, research internship opportunities, annual research and advocacy conferences, and financial support applied towards tuition and fees.
College Quest college preparation academies were held annually at Auburn University for blind/low-vision high school students from throughout Alabama. This program was hosted in partnership with the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services Blind and Low-Vision Services and focused on six disciplines: independent living, orientation and mobility, assistive technology, team building, student advisement, and vocational rehabilitation. Students also received two hours of college credit upon passing the course "Special Topics in College Student Development."
ACT Prep Academies for deaf and hard of hearing high school students, also funded by the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services, were also held each year at Auburn University. Students participating in the academies received instruction in ACT test strategies, reading comprehension, vocabulary building, and strategies for problem-solving in mathematics.
SEAPD-STEM program participants and graduates regularly completed online surveys about their mentoring experiences, academic issues, and social/educational challenges, outcomes, and program benefits. Students reported that the program was especially beneficial in providing them with more knowledge about available resources, increasing their commitment and confidence in completing their degrees, and learning more about graduate school opportunities. Many students also expressed gratitude for the relationships that the program allowed them to develop with both faculty and peers.
The project has also led to increased awareness of the needs of persons with disabilities in STEM and increased work to ensure the success of persons with disabilities in STEM. Publications resulting from this award include two peer-reviewed articles in the Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, as well as oral and poster presentations given at the annual Pacific Rim International Conference on Disability and Diversity.
The building and expansion of the SEAPD-STEM Alliance has served as the foundation for establishing the newly formed The Alliance of Students with Disabilities for Inclusion, Networking, and Transition Opportunities in STEM (TAPDINTO-STEM), funded by the National Science Foundation’s INCLUDES program under award number 2119902. The new TAPDINTO-STEM Alliance will expand the work of SEAPD-STEM from the South East United States to a national alliance geographically covering the entire U.S., including Alaska, Hawaii, and the Mariana Islands. By building on the successes and lessons learned from the SEAPD-STEM Alliance, TAPDINTO-STEM will continue this work to ensure that persons with disabilities nationwide are empowered to succeed in STEM disciplines.
Last Modified: 11/07/2022
Modified by: Overtoun M Jenda
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