This project from Teachers College, Columbia University brings together a group of women academicians representing STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and related fields (e.g. psychology, cognitive development, physiology) for three days of strategically focused networking, panel discussions, and paired mentoring. Intellectually, the project supports a workshop aimed at increasing awareness and providing access to networking and grantsmanship opportunities to support education research. It seeks to address why more women, especially African American women, doctoral students, faculty, and administrators do not apply for grants and also obtain grant award from funding sources external to colleges and universities. The project explores ways to mitigate barriers that might interfere with future networking and funding opportunities. Major topics for the workshop include increasing scholarship, knowledge about mentorship, funding sources, support at the institutional level to submit a proposal, collaborators at the university level, funds to travel to meet with peers and funding agencies in preparation for writing proposals, peer network at universities to offer support and training in proposal development, and the lack of publications to increase research competitiveness.
From the broader impact perspective, the project focuses on ways to help women improve their research by becoming more knowledgeable about grant funds to support their work. In addition, the standard to award promotion and tenure to faculty in higher education encompasses research, teaching, and service. Core to obtaining a tenured faculty appointment involves the procurement of external funding. In the past, it has been difficult for females, in particular, African American females to obtain grant funding, which is fundamental to the career development of faculty. Hence, this workshop focuses on the big picture regarding women in academia, their need to obtain funding for their research and scholarship, and their need to connect with other women in the academy. The workshop builds on existing knowledge and practice from relevant and prior efforts in the academy and beyond. It uses the combined strength of women as an effective way to improve research and publishing through networking and grantsmanship. The outcomes include strengthening the network between women academicians for support and learning in STEM and related fields, increasing knowledge about grant funding resources and funding opportunities, and improving mentoring to facilitate growth personally and professionally relative to research in education.
