The Alliance for Interdisciplinary Innovation in Computing Education-Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (AiiCE-PRF)

Duke University, Durham NC

Investigators

Abstract

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2). While computer science has transformed society, there are striking examples of how the groundbreaking technologies underlying this transformation have proven extremely harmful for people from groups who are historically underrepresented in computing. One notable instance is facial recognition software trained on a set of images with limited racial diversity. The resulting bias in such software can be attributed to the lack of diversity in academic and professional computing environments. Successfully broadening participation in computing requires computing faculty and researchers who can create/implement identity-inclusive computing curricula, policies, and practices, as well as perform innovative research in computing education. The Alliance for Identity-Inclusive Computing Education-Postdoctoral Researcher Fellowship (AiiCE-PRF) is based on evidence that the lack of diversity in university computer science departments is replicated in the computer science and computing education research community in terms of researcher identities, research topics, and available postdoctoral researcher positions. This marginalization impacts postdocs’ sense of belonging, publication and citation counts, and thus future hiring and career advancement. The AiiCE-PRF program will combine research and professional development activities related to computing education as well as provide best practices for identity-inclusive postdoc experiences that can be leveraged across STEM disciplines. The goal of the AiiCE-PRF is to increase the number of postdocs from groups who are historically underrepresented in computing and the number of postdocs performing identity-inclusive computing education research. The three-year project includes a research initiative where Fellows perform mixed-methods research related to training, curricula and pedagogy, policy, and student/faculty perceptions of race in computing. Fellows also participate in a professional development program that focuses on the three key components of a faculty portfolio: research, teaching, and service. Throughout this experience, fellows will work with the project team, members of the greater AiiCE alliance (who span disciplines, sectors, and identities), and each other to also develop independent research projects that will serve as the foundation for their future programs of research. Ultimately, the AiiCE-PRF will 1) increase fellows’ understanding of and preparation for academic careers; 2) increase fellows’ sense of belonging in the discipline (both as a postdocs and members of groups that are historically underrepresented in computing); and 3) contribute to best practices for supporting computing postdocs across the discipline. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.