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SREB-AGEP Doctoral Scholars Program


FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Robert (Bob) Belle
Associate Director
SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program & AGEP
592 Tenth Street, NW
Atlanta, GA 30318-5776
Phone: 404-875-9211, ext. 269
Direct: 404-879-5569
Fax: 404-872-1477
bob.belle@sreb.org

Background



The National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate for Education and Human Resources provides support for the Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate Program (AGEP). AGEP is committed to the national goal of increasing the numbers of African-Americans, Hispanic Americans, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders who are underrepresented minority scholars, including those with disabilities entering and completing graduate education and postdoctoral training to levels representative of the available pool of these groups.

Increased participation of underrepresented minority scholars in advanced STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education and training is critical for supporting the development of a diverse professional STEM workforce — especially a diverse STEM faculty who can serve as the intellectual, professional, personal and organizational role models who shape the expectations of future scientists and engineers.

To achieve this long-term commitment, the AGEP program supports the development, implementation, study and dissemination of innovative models and standards of graduate education and postdoctoral training that are designed to improve minority participation, preparation and success.

AGEP projects focus on underrepresented U.S. citizens in STEM graduate education and/or postdoctoral training — and on their preparation for academic STEM careers at all types of institutions of higher education. AGEP’s interests include any or all STEM fields supported by the NSF, including the social, behavioral and economic sciences, as well as multi-, cross- or inter-disciplinary STEM fields.

AGEP encourages community colleges, primarily undergraduate institutions, minority-serving institutions (such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions, and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities), women’s colleges, and institutions primarily serving persons with disabilities to participate in all three types of AGEP projects.


The AGEP program does not make awards to individual students or postdocs to undertake their education or research activities.

AGEP supports the following types of projects:

  • AGEP-Transformation - Strategic alliances of institutions and organizations to develop, implement and study innovative evidence-based models and standards for STEM graduate education, postdoctoral training, and academic STEM career preparation that eliminate or mitigate negative factors and promote positive practices for scholars from underrepresented minority groups

  • AGEP-Knowledge Adoption and Translation (AGEP-KAT) - Projects to expand the adoption (or adaptation) of research findings and evidence-based strategies and practices related to the participation and success of these scholars in STEM graduate education, postdoctoral training, and academic STEM careers at all types of institutions of higher education

  • AGEP-Broadening Participation Research in STEM Education (AGEP-BPR) – Investigator-initiated empirical research projects that seek to create and study new theory-driven models and innovations related to the participation and success of underrepresented minority scholars in STEM graduate education, postdoctoral training, and academic STEM careers at all types of institutions of higher education


SREBs Involvement with AGEP



The SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program implements a grant from the NSF Directorate for Education and Human Resources that provides funds to support the attendance of NSF’s underrepresented minority students at the annual Compact for Faculty Diversity Institute on Teaching and Mentoring.

The Institute is the largest gathering of minority Ph.D. scholars who seek careers in academia. The four-day conference works to reduce the minority faculty shortage by providing the students with the information, skill acquisition, encouragement and support to pursue doctoral degrees and become college professors. It focuses on increasing the percentage of minority scholars who earn doctorates and helps to diverse the pool of qualified candidates for faculty positions at colleges and universities. Through workshops, mentoring and more, it enables doctoral candidates to share insights and survival tips for success in graduate work, build community among themselves and faculty representatives, and enrich their research and teaching strategies.

Through the grant, the NSF and the SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program initiative achieves two broad goals for AGEP scholars: 1) It increases the likelihood of completing a Ph.D. in science, technology, engineering or mathematics; and 2) It encourages and prepares scholars for a careers as successful college faculty members.

By joining forces with SREB, AGEP institutions encourage their minority graduate students nationwide to earn doctoral degrees and join the professoriate.

SREB consults with NSF’s Human Resources Development officials to identify the institutions that will identify and nominate scholars to attend the Institute. Students cannot nominate themselves for attendance to the Institute. The NSF grant covers the major costs to attend the event, including registration fees, travel, hotel, conference meals and conference materials. All arrangements are facilitated by SREB, and no funds are distributed directly to students.

Note: The discussion above includes excerpts from the NSF website. Additional information on NSF programs can be obtained from: http://www.nsf.gov.


AGEP attendees at the 2012 Institute
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