Award Abstract # 2314918
Collaborative Research: Advancing Collaborations for Equity in Marine and Climate Sciences

NSF Org: DGE
Division Of Graduate Education
Recipient: TEMPLE UNIVERSITY-OF THE COMMONWEALTH SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION
Initial Amendment Date: September 11, 2023
Latest Amendment Date: April 29, 2025
Award Number: 2314918
Award Instrument: Standard Grant
Program Manager: Andrea Nixon
anixon@nsf.gov
 (703)292-2321
DGE
 Division Of Graduate Education
EDU
 Directorate for STEM Education
Start Date: September 15, 2023
End Date: April 18, 2025 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount: $399,997.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date: $399,997.00
Funds Obligated to Date: FY 2023 = $399,997.00
History of Investigator:
  • Jennifer Johnson (Principal Investigator)
    tuh41772@temple.edu
Recipient Sponsored Research Office: Temple University
1805 N BROAD ST
PHILADELPHIA
PA  US  19122-6104
(215)707-7547
Sponsor Congressional District: 02
Primary Place of Performance: Temple University
1801 N BROAD ST
PHILADELPHIA
PA  US  19122-6003
Primary Place of Performance
Congressional District:
02
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): QD4MGHFDJKU1
Parent UEI: QD4MGHFDJKU1
NSF Program(s): ADVANCE,
ECR-EDU Core Research
Primary Program Source: 04002324DB NSF STEM Education
Program Reference Code(s): 9178, 8817, 111Z, 9179, 8816, 8209, 112Z, 8212
Program Element Code(s): 016Y00, 798000
Award Agency Code: 4900
Fund Agency Code: 4900
Assistance Listing Number(s): 47.076

ABSTRACT

Marine and climate sciences (MCS) scientists play an important role in society because of their focus on both local and global issues affecting the environment and people. Yet MCS are some of the least diverse STEM disciplines, including limited change in the number of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) in MCS over the past 40 years. Climate and culture in MCS have been identified as actively contributing to the low participation and retention of BIPOC individuals in the disciplines and their disparate academic and professional outcomes, through gatekeeping, professional barriers, and other obstacles. The purpose of this research project is to examine how Woods Hole Collaborative Network (WHCN) researchers and administrators advance collaborations for equity in MCS and what processes are employed for developing equity-driven and anti-racist educational collaborations, infrastructures, and pathways. Project outcomes will span individual, institutional, and disciplinary level transformations.

This research project will investigate the WHCN, a multi-organizational collaboration between six predominantly white institutions located in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. The project focuses on three questions: (1) What features among the WHCN promote or inhibit institutional and disciplinary transformation? (2) In what ways has the WHCN pursued equitable collaborations and how has their collaboration evolved over time? (3) What effective and ineffective features of the WHCN?s initiatives can inform MCS collaborations? Drawing from nearly 20 years of WHCN?s programmatic efforts, researchers will utilize an instrumental case study to center the context and processes of a bounded case, with organizations (e.g., institutions) and individuals (e.g., students, scientists, and affiliated staff) as units of analyses. An instrumental case aligns with the project?s goal to develop a model that maps the process and infrastructure for transformation. The research design includes: (1) BIPOC storytelling and standpoint centering through qualitative interviews and qualitative network mapping with Woods Hole-affiliated BIPOC students, scientists, and alumni; (2) organizational and historical analysis through observations of WHCN initiatives, historical analysis of WHCN?s development, and analysis of student data, documented policies, activities, goals and procedures related to WHCN; and (3) model development, which will reflect a replicable and scalable model for equity-centered support in STEM collaborations.

This collaborative project is funded through the Racial Equity in STEM Education activities (EDU Racial Equity). The program supports research and practice projects that investigate how considerations of racial equity factor into the improvement of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and workforce. Awarded projects seek to center the voices, knowledge, and experiences of the individuals, communities, and institutions most impacted by systemic inequities within the STEM enterprise. This program aligns with NSF?s core value of supporting outstanding researchers and innovative thinkers from across the Nation's diversity of demographic groups, regions, and types of organizations. Funds for EDU Racial Equity are pooled from programs across EDU in recognition of the alignment of its projects with the collective research and development thrusts of the four divisions of the directorate.

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.

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