Advancing STEM Knowledge through Scientific Studies of Large-Scale Data Resources

The American Educational Research Association (AERA) Grants Program will build research and scientific capacity that will advance knowledge related to STEM education. The Grants Program includes four primary objectives: 1) advance knowledge through dissertation grants and small research grants that support fundamental STEM education research based on secondary data analysis of large-scale datasets; 2) enhance diversity and equity in STEM education research by creating opportunities for researchers and scholars from groups underrepresented in STEM education research; 3) foster a culture of open science and data innovation by training scholars in open science practices and advanced methods; and 4) promote high-quality communication by strengthening early career scholars capacity to disseminate their research through multiple formats and mediums.

The Grants Program will provide training and funding support for advanced doctoral-level researchers and early career researchers through dissertation grants and small research grants. Grant projects will utilize large-scale datasets to advance foundational knowledge in STEM education research. Researchers will come from a variety of disciplines, such as education, sociology, economics, statistics, demography, and psychology, with researchers often working across disciplines.

To enhance diversity and equity in STEM education research, outreach efforts will focus on researchers at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and at Minority Serving Institutions. Training and conferences will be offered for grantees that focus on strengthening knowledge and skills related to advances in quantitative methods, open science practices, and communication and dissemination of findings.

This project is supported by NSF's EDU Core Research (ECR) program. The ECR program emphasizes fundamental STEM education research that generates foundational knowledge in the field. Investments are made in critical areas that are essential, broad and enduring: STEM learning and STEM learning environments, broadening participation in STEM, and STEM workforce development.

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.