On The Successful Implementation Of An Nsf Funded Bridge To The Doctorate Program In Stem Disciplines

As a result of competitive review, North Carolina State University won a grant from the National Science Foundation to serve as the 2008-2010 Bridge to the Doctorate Project institutional site for the NSF-funded North Carolina Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (NCLSAMP) Program. The primary goal of the NC-LSAMP BD project is to broaden participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines by attracting underrepresented minority students. With more than 31,000 students and nearly 8,000 faculty and staff, NC State University is a comprehensive university known for its leadership in education and research, and globally recognized for its STEM leadership. As one of the leading land-grant institutions in the nation, NC State is committed to playing an active and vital role in improving the quality of life for the citizens of North Carolina, the nation and the world. With the NSF grant of $987,000, NC State will support a critical mass of 12 Bridge to the Doctorate fellows in each of the two years of this program. The BD program at North Carolina State University will have a significant impact on the retention and graduation rates of underrepresented minority STEM graduate students. This will occur because the BD funding will allow us to compete more strongly for STEM undergraduates at our NC-LSAMP partner institutions and nationally. It will also help fill the funding gap for students seeking the Ph.D. degree, but are currently not admissible to top ranked engineering programs such as NC State because we do not admit undergraduate scholars directly into most of our Ph.D. programs. The number and quality of graduate research experiences as well as NCLSAMP support to participate in regional and national conferences will also serve as a catalyst in the retention of talented graduate students. This paper provides summary information on the NSF Bridge to Doctorate Program and then discusses the need to increase the number of US STEM graduates. It then shares a portion of our winning proposal elements. These include university infrastructure support, our comprehensive graduate student funding model, prior NC-LSAMP BD success, and strategies for successful implementation given the short recruiting cycle. The paper concludes with unanticipated challenges to success. Summary Information on NSF Alliances for Broadening Participation (ABP) in STEM 1 The Alliances for Broadening Participation (ABP) in STEM solicitation includes the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program, Bridge to the Doctorate (BD) Activity, and the Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) program. This portfolio seeks to increase the number of students successfully completing quality degree programs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Particular emphasis is placed on transforming STEM education through innovative academic strategies and experiences P ge 14931.2 in support of groups that historically have been underrepresented in STEM disciplines: African Americans, Alaskan Natives, Native Americans, Hispanic Americans and Native Pacific Islanders. Managed synergistically, the ABP cluster enables seamless transitions from the STEM baccalaureate to attainment of the doctorate and entry to the STEM professoriate. ABP support begins at the baccalaureate level through the LSAMP program. LSAMP emphasizes development of broad based regional and national alliances of academic institutions, school districts, state and local governments, and the private sector to increase the diversity and quality of the STEM workforce. Eligible LSAMP undergraduate students may receive continued support for up to two additional years of STEM graduate study through the Bridge to the Doctorate (BD) Activity. The Bridge to the Doctorate provides significant financial support for matriculating candidates in STEM doctoral programs at eligible alliance sites. Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) furthers the graduate education of underrepresented students through the doctorate level, preparing them for fulfilling opportunities and productive careers as STEM faculty and research professionals. AGEP also supports the transformation of institutional culture to attract and retain STEM doctoral students into the professorate. The LSAMP program also supports education research projects focused on STEM baccalaureate degree attainment. Proposals may only be submitted by Universities and Colleges: Universities and twoand fouryear colleges (including community colleges) located and accredited in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members. Such organizations also are referred to as academic institutions. Solicitations for proposals under the ABP are released annually. NSF Bridge to the Doctorate Program Description LSAMP alliances at the senior level, including NC-LSAMP, are eligible for Bridge to the Doctorate support. BD funding provides financial support for eligible students for two years of graduate study. Proposals for BD support must describe effective strategies for recruiting, retaining, educating and graduating the participants. Proposers must provide documentation of past performance at the designated graduate institutional site of retaining, graduating, and placing significant numbers of LSAMP graduates into doctoral-degree programs. A plan for formally connecting a significant number of newly matriculated LSAMP students, including master's degree graduates, to doctoral degree programs is expected. Successful projects must demonstrate substantive and formal connection to other NSF-funded programs, such as CREST, NSF research centers, Integrative Graduate Education and Research Training Program (IGERT), Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education Program (GK-12), and AGEP. Successful BD projects must ensure that a substantive number of first year BD participants apply to NSF's Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). Similarly, BD P ge 14931.3 applicants must present an action plan describing dollar support and sources for continuing students in years three and beyond towards doctorate degrees. Action plans identifying strategies for connecting the transfer of third-year BD recipients interested in and eligible for admission to AGEP graduate programs are required. Recruitment of students is expected from all STEM disciplines. A concentration of students in one discipline within a cohort is strongly discouraged. Tracking of project participants into doctoral degree programs and into the workforce, including the professoriate is also expected. Other highly valued activities include regular BD meetings, mentoring of students, and resources to support annual student participation at professional meetings and seminars on productive academic efforts, demystify degree programs, and available career options. A critical mass of twelve (12) LSAMP STEM graduate students is required under this activity. The NSF contribution to graduate student stipends is $30,000 per year (12 months) for each of twelve students for 24-months. Successfully matriculating graduate students are expected to receive a second year stipend at this dollar support level. NSF will provide a cost-of-education allowance to the institution for tuition, health insurance, and other normal fees of $10,500 per year up to two years for each of twelve students. Costs for project evaluation may be included. A flat allowance of $15,000 per award may also be requested in lieu of indirect costs. The maximum request per alliance is $987,000. NSF Proposal Processing and Review Procedures Proposals received by NSF are assigned to the appropriate NSF program where they will be reviewed if they meet NSF proposal preparation requirements. All proposals are carefully reviewed by a scientist, engineer, or educator serving as an NSF Program Officer, and usually by three to ten other persons outside NSF who are experts in the particular fields represented by the proposal. These reviewers are selected by Program Officers charged with the oversight of the review process. Proposers are invited to suggest names of persons they believe are especially well qualified to review the proposal and/or persons they would prefer not review the proposal. These suggestions may serve as one source in the reviewer selection process at the Program Officer's discretion. Submission of such names, however, is optional. Care is taken to ensure that reviewers have no conflicts of interest with the proposal. All NSF proposals are evaluated through use of the two National Science Board (NSB)-approved merit review criteria: intellectual merit and the broader impacts of the proposed effort. In some instances, however, NSF will employ additional criteria as required to highlight the specific objectives of certain programs and activities. Brief descriptions of merit review criteria follow: 1. What is the intellectual merit of the proposed activity? How important is the proposed activity to advancing knowledge and understanding within its own field or across different fields? How well qualified is the proposer (individual or team) to conduct the project? (If appropriate, the reviewer will comment on the quality of the prior work.) To P ge 14931.4 what extent does the proposed activity suggest and explore creative, original, or potentially transformative concepts? How well conceived and organized is the proposed activity? Is there sufficient access to resources? 2. What are the broader impacts of the proposed activity? How well does the activity advance discovery and understanding while promoting teaching, training, and learning? How well does the proposed activity broaden the participation of underrepresented groups (e.g., gender, ethnicity, disability, geographic, etc.)? To what extent will it enhance the infrastructure for research and education, such as facilities, instrumentation, networks, and partnerships? Will the results