Training Holistic Research Innovators Via Education Postdoctoral Fellowships in STEM (THRIVE-STEM)

Particularly in STEM fields, doctoral programs primarily focus on research training. However, in order to thrive in academic careers scholars are also called upon to play important roles involving teaching, mentoring, and service. This project aims to develop STEM education scholars who have skills, tools, and supports to thrive while contributing to our nation's capacity to conduct STEM education research.

This postdoctoral cohort project is designed to support long-term career growth by enabling Fellows to further develop their research and communication skills as well as ways to maintain their mental and social health. The fellowship program will include programming co-developed with research faculty, teaching faculty, and graduate students. In the second year, the program will be further shaped in partnership with the Fellows themselves.

The project draws upon social learning theory to design an intentional, scaffolded program that will bring scholars deeper into a professional practice community and develop their thriving skills. Fellows supported through this award will engage in a Community of Practice along with current faculty and graduate students. Fellows will also engage in research, proposal writing, and teaching praxis with increasing autonomy as they progress in the two-year program.

Through the Community of Practice, scholars will complete tailored activities to address five hidden competencies of thriving: research fundamentals, disciplinary communication, career growth, and managing mental and social health. Additionally, Fellows will participate in the National Center for Faculty Diversity and Development’s Core Program that ties all five hidden competencies together and been shown to enhance researchers’ writing productivity and well-being.

The project’s evaluation plan is designed to assess the elements of our program to increase our ability to share its impacts with others who are training STEM education researchers.

This project is funded by the STEM Education Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (STEM Ed PRF) program that aims to enhance the research knowledge, skills, and practices of recent doctorates in STEM, STEM education, education, and related disciplines to advance their preparation to engage in fundamental and applied research that advances knowledge within the field.

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.