The project entitled - Identifying Minimal Conditions Essential to Enhancing Research Productivity of Early Career Faculty in Selected STEM Disciplines at HBCUs - by the Quality Education for Minorities (QEM) Network seeks to identify the conditions that significantly enhance the research capacity and scholarly productivity of STEM faculty at the participating HBCUs. QEM's experience in assisting STEM faculty at minority-serving institutions (MSIs) to enhance their scholarly productivity suggests the following conditions as essential components of a project to address this question: adequate release time for faculty to conduct research projects; training in the preparation of research proposals; developing skills to effectively mentor students; mentoring from a senior researcher; opportunities to attend and present at discipline-focused conferences; and an understanding of ways to integrate research into teaching and of how to build and sustain effective collaborations. QEM, with guidance from an External Advisory Committee and assistance from a select group of senior STEM researchers, will recruit, select, and provide the opportunity for 20 assistant professors in selected STEM disciplines (at least two each from up to ten different HBCUs) to enhance their research productivity and mentoring skills. The project will enable QEM to assess whether providing these conditions leads to the desired results. Increased STEM faculty participation and awards in NSF's research directorates will lead to enhanced infrastructure and increased research activity at HBCUs as well as bring the experience and perspective of increasing numbers of MSI faculty to the Nation's STEM knowledge base.
