Collaborative Research: Rising Doctoral Institute

Research has shown that underrepresented historically underrepresented racial and ethnic groups (African American, Hispanic American, Native American, and Pacific Island) are finishing the doctorate in engineering in lesser rates than their majority peers. For every seven doctorates in engineering granted to majority students, only one minority will obtain one. To address this problem, we developed the Rising Doctoral Institute (RDI) which aims to provide a timely and preparatory experience for rising doctoral students in engineering to address issues related to transitioning into the PhD encountered by underrepresented students. However, we understand that a single intervention will not change the landscape for underrepresented PhD students. For this reason, our proposed project aims to develop a research-based intervention model of this preparatory experience and develop a community of practice among institutional partners to develop and adapt this model for local contexts. Integral to the project is an investigation of the dynamics of academic systems and how implementing programs like the RDI can influence systemic change within the institution. Thus, the goals of the proposed project are to (1) research the effect of early interventions for doctoral students on the transition into the engineering doctorate, and (2) develop sustainable models for institutions to implement on their campus to help underrepresented students’ transition into the doctorate. The intellectual merit of this project lies in the integrated research-to-practice design. Using quantitative and qualitative research methods, we will uncover the factors that lead to a successful transition into the doctorate among underrepresented students as well as strategies for designing context-appropriate local RDIs. To meet these goals, we designed a five-year project. In year 1, we will host an RDI modeled after a pilot program hosted in 2019 and invite representatives from five collaborating institutions to observe and coach them as they develop an RDI-type intervention for their institution. In year 2, the collaborating institutions will each host an RDI-type intervention at their institution, and the RDI PIs will serve as on-site consultants helping the collaboration institutions address the needs of incoming underrepresented graduate students. In year 3, we will host a showcase with the initial collaborating institutions to overview different models of the RDI and scale the project to up to 20 new institutions to develop their versions of the RDI. We will also develop the network of institutions hosting RDI interventions through mentor group sessions. In years 4 and 5, we will nurture this community of practice led by the five initial collaborating institution leaders and develop products based on the research findings such as evaluation tools for measuring the impact of RDI, guides to hosting support programs such as the RDI, and guides for mentoring doctoral students entering the PhD. Over five years, this project has the potential to positively impact the doctoral degree completion rates of approximately 1,500 underrepresented doctoral students who will participate in an RDI implementation and 50 leaders from collaborating institutions across 25 institutions. The research outcomes include: 1) research-based variations on an intervention model for rising underrepresented doctoral students in engineering, 2) data on the impact of such early interventions in the transition of underrepresented doctoral students into the doctorate, and 3) a research-based model to assist institutional leaders with developing sustainable support structures and systems for incoming PhDs at their institutions. 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.