Collaborative Research: Synthesis of the Barriers and Solutions in STEM Postsecondary Settings for Undergraduate Students with Disabilities

The University of Texas at Austin and the University of Mississippi are conducting a research synthesis study of the barriers and solutions in postsecondary STEM training settings for students with disabilities. The lack of full inclusion of people with disabilities in the STEM workforce is a missed opportunity to realize the full potential and talent of the entire U.S. population. Opportunities to advance knowledge about STEM postsecondary training setting barriers and solutions for students with disabilities will lead to increasing the engagement, academic retention, degree completion, and career advancement of undergraduate students with disabilities in STEM. Such success is essential for building and advancing a robust U.S. STEM workforce. The research team is engaging with an expert advisory board, and postsecondary students with disabilities, to contribute to the synthesis project work. The systematic review includes analyses that are informed by theoretical frameworks and conceptual models that have been used to study the experiences of STEM undergraduate students with disabilities. Published findings include the rationales for decisions made throughout the systematic review and analysis so that others may replicate the synthesis research. This award has been made in response to the NSF solicitation “Workplace Equity for Persons with Disabilities in STEM and STEM Education” (NSF 23-593). The project is funded by the Division of Equity for Excellence in STEM’s Hispanic Serving Institutions program (HSI), the Division of Equity for Excellence in STEM’s Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation program (LSAMP), and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). 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.