| NSF Org: |
EEC Division of Engineering Education and Centers |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | July 21, 2021 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | July 21, 2021 |
| Award Number: | 2126082 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Dana L. Denick
ddenick@nsf.gov (703)292-8866 EEC Division of Engineering Education and Centers ENG Directorate for Engineering |
| Start Date: | September 1, 2021 |
| End Date: | August 31, 2023 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $100,000.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $100,000.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
4300 MARTIN LUTHER KING BLVD HOUSTON TX US 77204-3067 (713)743-5773 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
5000 Gulf FWY Houston TX US 77204-2015 |
| 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): | ERC-Eng Research Centers |
| 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): | 47.041 |
ABSTRACT
The National Science Board reports that, since 2000, the portion of engineering degrees awarded to underrepresented students has improved very little or not at all. For example, in 2000, 8.6%, 7.3%, and 0.7% of engineering degrees were awarded to African Americans, Latinx, and Native American students, respectively. In 2015, 8.7%, 12.8%, and 0.5% of degrees were awarded to those same student groups. Recent statistics on engineering education shows that underrepresented students are more likely to attend Minority-Serving Institutions (MSI). Yet, most of the research on engineering education comes from Predominantly-White Institutions (PWIs), which may limit the generalizability of findings for underrepresented students and more diverse institutions. Furthermore, research often is done in silos with insufficient interdisciplinary collaboration. If we are going to move the needle on broadening participation in engineering and engineering workforce development?our targeted societal impact?we need a convergent approach led by stakeholders at the forefront of supporting a diverse engineering future?MSIs.
Employing asset-based approaches such as Community Cultural Wealth (CCW) for all aspects of research, management, and development, we will develop an MSI-led Engineering Research Center (ERC) that focuses on Engineering Student Success founded on Engineering Education frameworks. This ERC will become a leader in the development of engineering student success research and will be uniquely positioned to translate findings into policies and practices that address the success (defined as recruitment, retention, and graduation) of underrepresented engineering students, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. This ERC will bring together a core team of interdisciplinary researchers from across MSIs in the Greater Houston area and beyond. The aim for the development and execution of this ERC is to become a model of MSI engagement and collaboration. The ERC proposal that will result from the planning grant will pursue research and development work that focuses on a) research relating to underrepresented student success, b) interventions designed to strengthen engineering workforce pathways (i.e., K-12, community college, and four-year institutions), c) rigorous and culturally responsive project evaluation, and d) dissemination of engineering education research to the academic community, practitioners, and policymakers. This planning grant will leverage the proximity of engaged institutions to build a community of researchers and advocates centered on similar challenges and research interests. The subsequent ERC will support the production of high-impact, convergent research focused on student success and broadening participation in engineering.
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.
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.
This Engineering Research Center (ERC) planning grant supported the development of a multi-institutional team, led by three Minority-Serving Institutions, namely the University of Houston, Texas Southern University, and Prairie View A&M University, to devise a convergent research and engineering workforce team to tackle the challenge of broadening participation in engineering. The ERC planning grant enabled the assembling of the research team and the execution of stakeholder gatherings to build rapport and develop the mission, research thrusts, and the ERC-engineered system. The planning grant also enabled us to travel and consult with current ERC leaders and supported the training of graduate student research assistants. The intellectual merit of this project was guided by designing a research agenda for research on policies and practices that address the success (defined as recruitment, retention, and graduation) of underrepresented minority (URM) engineering students, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The broader impact of this project locally stood to impact the nearly 6,600 URM engineering students enrolled at the three lead institutions. The center's work also has the potential to impact URM engineering students across the country. This ERC's ultimate outcome/goal will be an increase in the number of underrepresented students graduating with engineering degrees. The development and execution of this ERC will be a model of MSI engagement in these efforts across the country.
Last Modified: 11/30/2023
Modified by: Jerrod Henderson
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