{"id":3081,"date":"2015-03-09T04:06:27","date_gmt":"2015-03-09T04:06:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=3081"},"modified":"2016-08-13T05:46:07","modified_gmt":"2016-08-13T05:46:07","slug":"early-career-researchers-the-missing-link-for-stem-diversity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/early-career-researchers-the-missing-link-for-stem-diversity\/","title":{"rendered":"Early-career researchers the missing link for STEM diversity"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Maggie Hardy<\/a>, The University of Queensland<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

When high school physics teacher Moses Rifkin wrote a recent blog post on \u201cTeaching Social Justice in the Physics Classroom<\/a>,\u201d he ignited a new round of conversation about white privilege and the kinds of skills scientists need. Rifkin outlined how he incorporates into his teaching a unit on \u201cWho does physics, and why?\u201d to highlight the lack of diversity in science, particularly physics.<\/p>\n

The problem isn\u2019t new and it isn\u2019t going away by itself. But it is getting more and more attention. The United States National Science Foundation (NSF) recently released a report<\/a>, \u201cPathways to Broadening Participation in response to the Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering 2011\u20132012 Recommendation,\u201d intended to \u201cbuild on best practices and offer new approaches” that would \u201cincrease participation in STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering and Math] from underrepresented groups.\u201d This isn\u2019t the first initiative of its kind for the agency; since 1980, NSF has had a mandate<\/a> to increase the participation of women and minorities in science and engineering.<\/p>\n

A diverse science and engineering workforce<\/a> is critical for innovation, entrepreneurism and a competitive national economy.<\/p>\n

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Researchers should reflect the country\u2019s population.<\/span>
\nMissTessmacher<\/a>, CC BY-NC<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Scope of the problem<\/h2>\n

Although women earn about half the bachelor\u2019s degrees awarded in biology and chemistry<\/a>, they are underrepresented in all other STEM disciplines \u2013 mathematics, computer science, earth sciences, engineering and physics. Women are half the population, but hold only 28% of science and engineering jobs.<\/p>\n

Native American and Alaska Native students earn bachelor\u2019s degrees in STEM fields at about the same rate as white students (21% for women and 27% for men<\/a>), but are not employed in STEM fields proportionally. The number of black<\/a> and Hispanic<\/a> students earning degrees in STEM fields is lower than the national average, and their employment in STEM \u2013 once again \u2013 isn\u2019t proportional. We train students in STEM fields, but ultimately they leave the carousel that is employment in research<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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The current demographics of scientists do not reflect our population.<\/span>
\nNational Science Foundation Broadening Participation Report<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The issues with relying largely on one demographic group to do science are many, particularly when that group does not reflect the population. Research has shown<\/a> that \u201cpromoting diversity not only promotes representation and fairness but may lead to higher quality science.\u201d Policies that increase equity are often good for everyone \u2013 here<\/a> is a recent example showing this using standardized math test scores.<\/p>\n

Increasing the diversity in science opens up the possibility of stable, high-paying jobs in STEM fields to more Americans. Pulling from the entire population, including traditionally underrepresented communities<\/a>, provides a more robust base for economic innovation and the knowledge-intensive jobs of the future.<\/p>\n

Equity is good for business, too. Although women in technology are some of the highest performing entrepreneurs<\/a>, men receive 2.8 times<\/a> more startup capital.<\/p>\n

Where do we need to be?<\/h2>\n

The National Science Foundation is a key player for academics, as its budget ($7.3 billion for 2015<\/a>) funds approximately 24%<\/a> of all federally supported basic research. NSF uses a peer-based merit review system<\/a> to invest in basic research that lays the foundation for important discoveries, as well as applied research that provides innovative fodder for our economy. Its prominence as a funding source for colleges and universities is part of the reason its initiatives are important for many researchers.<\/p>\n

According to the new diversity report, \u201cthe ultimate goal<\/a> is to have participation in STEM fields mirror the population of the Nation.\u201d Specifically, that means we need to focus on recruiting and retaining the best talent from currently under-represented groups: blacks, Latinos and indigenous communities, including Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders. Based on recent estimates<\/a>, by 2044 the United States will be a majority-minority country, so to have the research workforce mirror the population we need a clear path to retain people in research positions.<\/p>\n

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By 2044, the United States will be a majority-minority country.<\/span>
\nRuy Teixeria, William H. Frey, Rob Griffin\/Center for American Progress<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There is a need for a clear, well supported career pathway for early- and mid-career researchers, with an emphasis on retaining traditionally underrepresented groups. And NSF isn\u2019t the only institution focusing on this issue. The National Institutes of Health<\/a>, the American Association for the Advancement of Science<\/a>, and the scientific journals Nature<\/a> and Science<\/a>) have all discussed the problematic lack of diversity in science. In 2013 the White House released<\/a> a 5-year strategic plan for STEM Education, which emphasized creating a diverse STEM workforce.<\/p>\n

How do we get there?<\/h2>\n

NSF has pulled together the most current evidence-based strategies to increase diversity in STEM. The report groups proposed interventions into the following six categories.<\/p>\n