Improving Skills and Capabilities in the Conduct of Institutional Research in Postsecondary Educational Institutions

Association For Institutional Research, Tallahassee FL

Investigators

Abstract

This project increases the capacity of individuals to use higher education data at the institution, state, and federal levels; encourages innovative ways for studying higher education; and facilitates the dissemination of research findings to the higher education community, as well as the general public. Through grant awards and face-to-face training, AIR promotes the contribution that National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) datasets make in setting higher education policy, theory, and practice; enhances understanding about methodological and technological issues relevant to large-scale national data collections; and fosters collaboration between the higher education community and government agencies. In addition, the grantee's partnership with the National Postsecondary Education Cooperative (NPEC) promotes research focused on increasing the understanding and knowledge of specific issue areas, selected annually by NPEC. The grant and training opportunities are targeted to institutional researchers, faculty, and doctoral students, who conduct research about American postsecondary education -- including trends in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) -- and who use national data to inform campus and national higher education practices. Faculty and practitioners are eligible for competitive research grants of up to $40,000 for one year of independent research, while doctoral students are eligible for dissertation grants of up to $20,000 for one year to support dissertation research and writing under the guidance of a faculty dissertation advisor. As part of the project award, an annual summer institute (The National Data Institute: Using Federal Data to Support Research on Science, Engineering, and Postsecondary Education) will provide an intensive introduction to NSF and NCES datasets and research methodologies using large-scale national data sources. The Institute is a hands-on face-to-face workshop with speakers from NSF, NCES, and other national higher education organizations. Both the grant program and Institute incorporate competitive, national proposal processes with previous participants and higher education experts serving as reviewers. The broader implications for these activities are in providing research based information to assist colleges and universities in improving graduation and completion rates of students, especially in STEM careers. Grant recipients are required to present their research at AIR's annual conference and these materials, as well as final reports, are made available to the general public on AIR's website. Studies funded through AIR's grant program are regularly presented at national higher education conferences and published in the most respected journals in higher education. National dissemination through conferences, publications, and the internet provides researchers, practitioners, and scholars outside higher education opportunities to review these innovative contributions to the field of education through lens of NSF and NCES data.