This award supported “Quantitative Methods for Assessing the Potential to Disrupt Disparities in and through STEM,” a two-day conference held at the University of Chicago in June 2024. The conference, organized by former William T. Grant Foundation Scholar Guanglei Hong, was the culmination of a National Science Foundation-funded program to increase underrepresented scholars in STEM research. Attendees included multidisciplinary fellows in STEM education research, many from underrepresented groups in the academy, and quantitative methodologists. Day 1 of the conference focused on the measurement of STEM identity, inequity, and intersectionality, while Day 2 involved identifying leverage points for reducing disparity in and through STEM education. Objectives included: 1) facilitating agenda-setting conversations for STEM researchers and quantitative methodologists; 2) exchanging ideas to advance methodological development and its relevance to STEM education research concerning equality and equity; 3) stimulating paradigm shifts through collaborative relationships between researchers and methodologists; and 4) cultivating a community committed to advancing methodological rigor and inclusivity in STEM education research. The Foundation’s contribution reaffirms its commitment to supporting measurement work that can inform programs, policies, and practices to reduce inequality in education while also investing in early-career scholars from underrepresented backgrounds who may also be working to reduce inequalities among youth.
This award provided support for a two-day conference held at the University of Chicago to increase underrepresented scholars in STEM research.
