Build and Broaden: Bridging Critical Research Collaborations for Faculty Success in Texas MSIs - Being a Resilient Researcher at Mid-Career Webinar Series (Spring 2021)

The state of Texas has more minority-serving institutions (MSI) than any state other than California. The state's pressing priorities mimic many at the national level, such as a need for greater inclusion at all levels of the scientific enterprise. While the National Science Foundation (NSF) has identified many effective strategies to demystify the grants process, funding rates at MSIs still lag behind other institutions with fewer students of color, including in the social, behavioral, and economic (SBE) sciences. In turn, this means MSI students have fewer opportunities to participate in research or to acquire cutting edge scientific techniques, the kinds of experiences that increase options for career paths and advanced education. This grant funds three mini-conferences for MSI faculty in Texas, with a focus on participation by faculty of color, women faculty, and mid-career faculty.

The mini-conferences will feature presentations by former NSF staff and other faculty who bring expertise in navigating different career pathways, including at MSIs. Through the events, faculty at MSIs will learn more about NSF grant proposals and research collaborations and will have access to on-site mentorship and collaboration opportunities. The conference organizers also plan to collect survey data on the career pathways of participating faculty in the SBE sciences at these institutions, with an eye towards better understanding how to support research capacity, especially for collaborations. As a result, a larger pool of faculty at MSIs will share an understanding of NSF proposals and fellow SBE researchers in the region. Increased attention to SBE research and funding in the state of Texas will advance fundamental knowledge in the SBE disciplines, highlighting the value of SBE research in a state which receives roughly 90% of its funding in the non-SBE disciplines, according to figures from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.