Addressing the Challenges of Addressing the Challenges of Graduate and Post-graduate Graduate and Post-graduate Training in the GeosciencesTraining in the Geosciences

Margaret Leinen

Assistant Director for Geosciences

National Science Foundation

Ocean Sciences Meeting, 2006

Most NSF Ocean Science grants provide support for graduate students and

postdoctoral fellows

NSF Ocean Sciences Grad & Postdoc Support

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

OCE BO CO PO MGG

% Awards (Aug 2004)

Graduate Postdoc

Challenges for successful geoscience career development at the graduate and post-graduate levels

• increasing recruitment and retention of members of underrepresented groups in geoscience careers

• career skills needed to succeed in a variety of career pathways

• providing postdoctoral appointees with essential professional skills other than research capability

• evaluating which programs and practices are most effective at each stage in producing successful geoscientists

Broadening participationin the geosciences

1996 1998 2000 2002 2004

Percent Minority PhD degrees

0

5

10

15

20

25

Geosciences

Science & Eng

Biological Sciences

Computer Sciences

Math

Physical Sciences

Psychology Engineering

Social sciences

PhD degrees received by minorities in selected disciplinesPhD degrees received by minorities in selected disciplines

The number of PhDs awarded to minorities in the geosciences from 1994 - 2003

Total in 10-year period (322):

Hispanics 133

Asian/Pac Islanders 106

African Americans 62

Amer Indians & Alaskan Natives

21

4796

322

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

Geosciences PhD Degrees 1994-2003

total

Data from NSF Science and Engineering Indicators

BS degrees received by minorities in selected disciplines

1996 1998 2000 2002 2004

Percent Minority Bachelor's degrees0

5

10

15

20

Geosciences

Science & EngBiological Sciences

Computer Sciences

Math

Physical Sciences

Psychology

Engineering

Social sciences

GEO programs to broaden participation• Opportunities to Enhance Participation in the

Geosciences (OEDG)– Supports students directly through mentoring and

networking activities– Provides resources to minority-serving

undergraduate and graduate institution faculty– Fosters partnerships between minority and

majority institutions and faculty– Broadens the visibility of the geosciences within

underrepresented communities

GEO programs to broaden participation

• Geosciences Education Track 2 Awards– Connects proven GEO diversity projects

with LSAMP, CREST, and AGEP partners

• Programs within Ocean Sciences– Centers for Ocean Science Education

Excellence (COSEE)– REU Sites

Providing career path skillsto doctoral students: NSF Programs

• Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeships (IGERT) – Catalyzes cultural changes in graduate education, for students,

faculty, and institutions, by establishing innovative new models for graduate education that transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries

• Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12)– Fellowships and training in K-12 instruction to improve students’

communication and teaching skills while enriching STEM instruction in K-12 schools

– Encourages institutions of higher education to include partnerships with K-12 schools that are of mutual benefit to their faculties and students

Studies of postdoctoral policies and practices• Postdoctoral Appointments: Policies and

PracticesNSF Workshop Report (March 2005) (http://www.MerrimackLLC.com/2004/postdoc-workshop.html)

• Doctors Without Orders: May-June 2005 Special Supplement to American Scientist, by Geoff Davis (http://postdoc.sigmaxi.org/results/)

• Recommendations for Postdoctoral Policies and Practices; National Postdoctoral Association (http://www.nationalpostdoc.org)

Areas of concern highlighted by studies

• Mentor relationships and career advice

• Compensation and benefits

• Institutional support

Sigma Xi survey correlates of success for post-docs• Structured oversight:

– Written research and career development plan with advisor and postdoc responsibilities specified

– Formal performance reviews

• Formal and informal training opportunities:– Research ethics, proposal writing, writing skills,

teaching skills, negotiating skills, and group or lab management

– Education and public outreach

GEO support for post-graduate careers and feedback from recent PhDs

Examples of programs for recent PhDsDissertation Symposium in Chemical Oceanography (DISCO)Physical Oceanography Dissertation Symposium (PODS)Dissertation Initiative for the Advancement of Limnology and Oceanography (DIALOG)DISsertations Initiative for the advancement of Climate Change ReSearch (DISCCRS)

Participants are concerned about their preparation for careers and desire:

Experience in non-research aspects of professional careers Mentoring and exposure to professionals who can provide support in these other areas of career development

Expectations for NSF post-doctoral support

• Proposals requesting postdoc support should:– Identify plans for effectively recruiting members of

underrepresented groups for postdoctoral appointments

– Demonstrate the PI’s commitment to fostering the career development activities of postdocs and to allocating time for these efforts

– Outline a specific plan to provide mentoring and advisement to postdocs

– Document postdoc mentoring and training efforts in annual and final reports as part of broader impacts activities

Beyond the post-doc: NSF early career development awards(CAREER Program)

• Enables the early career development activities of faculty most likely to become academic leaders

• Awardees selected on the basis of their plans to develop highly integrative and effective research and education careers

• Increased participation of those traditionally under-represented in science and engineering encouraged

• http://www.nsf.gov/career

Ocean Science CAREER awards

GEO OCE CAREER Proposals(avg success rate = 18%)

0

10

20

30

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

# of proposals

declines awards

Evaluating successful programs

• We want to hear from those who have developed successful strategies for addressing these challenges in doctoral and postdoctoral training

• We expect to hear about the results of educational efforts as well as science in annual and final progress reports under “broader impacts”

• Measures of success should focus on the process of preparing graduate students and postdocs for their careers, not only on the end products (degrees and positions)

Examples of activities that might be reported

– Career development opportunities– Formal training activities– Mentorship– Broadening participation– Providing access to career alternative

experiences

Best practices for geoscience graduate student and post-doc training

• Provide students and postdocs access to training and education and opportunities to acquire career skills needed to succeed in a variety of career pathways, including

• Provide access to appropriate support and mentors• Develop plans for recruitment and outreach to

members of under-represented groups and access to appropriate support and mentors

• Reflection and evaluation of programs and practices that are most effective at each stage in producing successful geoscientists