Tag Archive: CERP Infographics
These infographics are brought to you by the CRA’s Center for Evaluating the Research Pipeline (CERP). CERP provides social science research and comparative evaluation for the computing community. To learn more about CERP, visit our website.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number (CNS-1246649; DUE-1431112). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
Undergraduate and graduate students in computing fields were asked to rate how much importance they place on a list of 15 career values. Helping others was rated the highest by both groups of students.
CERP evaluated the CCC Early Career Researcher Symposium held in Washington, D.C. during August 2018. Evaluation findings showed that participants of the symposium gained potential collaborators for future work. These findings highlight a key feature of the symposium, which was to encourage networking and discussions among peers and leaders from the field.
In 2018, CRA launched the Grad Cohort for Underrepresented Minorities + Persons with Disabilities (Grad Cohort URMD) workshop. CERP found that compared to before the workshop, participants reported stronger knowledge about a number of professional skills after attending Grad Cohort URMD. Applications for the 2019 workshop will open October 2018.
Diversity-focused conferences such as the Grace Hopper Celebration and Richard Tapia Conference provide an opportunity for students who are underrepresented in computing to meet other students and professionals who have similar experiences. Data Buddies Survey data show that students who participated in these conferences feel more confident in their ability to complete their degree in computing than the students who did not participate.
Enrollments in master’s CS degree programs continue to rise. Compared to master’s students in traditional degree programs, online master’s students report lower levels of mentorship support. Departments should consider ways to increase accessibility and visibility of mentorship resources to online students. Examples discussed in main text.
Compared to White and Asian students, who are considered the racial and ethnic majority in computing fields, students who are members of underrepresented racial and ethnic groups and students with disabilities (URMD) were 1.5 times more likely to report having seriously considered leaving their graduate program.
CERP data indicate most undergraduate students have not participated in formal research during their college career to date. When asked whether those students plan to pursue formal research before they graduate, many indicate they are unsure or do not plan to do so. This infographic presents students’ reasons for uncertainty or lack of interest.
CERP data indicate, among Ph.D. students, women feel more like an outsider, more like their ideas or opinions were minimized or ignored by others in their department, and are less confident in their ability to discuss theory with senior members in their field compared to men.
CERP found that nearly half of graduate students in computing degree programs surveyed in 2016 indicated they were not very knowledgeable about how to obtain research funding. Of note, this trend occurred among Ph.D. students as well as Terminal Master’s students: 45 percent of Ph.D. students and 52 percent of Terminal Master’s students indicated below average knowledge in this area. This finding suggests advisors and departments should spend more time working with students on this professional development skill.
Ph.D. students’ interest in a faculty position at a research university declined over time. This may be cause for concern for the academic community given that almost half all Ph.D. granting institutions with open searches for the 2017-2018 academic year were not able to fill all of the positions advertised.
CERP data indicate students who engage in a formal research experience during college are more likely to apply for graduate school and enroll in a Ph.D. program after college, compared to students without formal research experience.
