Excellence in Research: Improving the Empirical, Analytical, and Data Archiving Skills of Early-Career Researchers in Criminal Justice and the Allied Social Sciences

Prairie View A & M University, Prairie View TX

Investigators

Abstract

Researchers at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) often face unique challenges concerning research productivity and grantsmanship. This project aims to address these challenges by providing training opportunities and mentoring in the statistical analysis of archived data sources at the University of Michigan’s Inter-University Consortium of Political and Social Research (ICPSR). This project proposes to develop a summer institute focusing on developing skills to analyze and integrate secondary data analysis into research agendas. The institute will partner with ICPSR on statistical training and guidance using specific datasets. A vital feature of the institute is that participants will have access to mentors prepared to support the development of participants' intellectual products at multiple points during the research process. Additionally, institute participants also will learn best practices to integrate secondary data analysis into teaching to further the analytical skills of students. The development of participants' research experiences and analytical skills has potential to translate research capacity into successful outcomes. Each year of the project will include research training with a particular theme (e.g., criminal justice, cyber security, public policy, public health). At various stages during the training life cycle, an external evaluator will gauge the project's impact and assess enhanced skills in research design and data analysis; the competence of working with secondary data sets; the knowledge transfer across subjects; and the development of strategies to incorporate secondary data in classroom learning and other data-driven learning environments. After completing the summer institute, participants will receive additional statistical workshops and mentorship by the project staff to support moving a concept proposal to a peer-reviewed published product. Gaining access to and learning to use high-quality secondary datasets, such as those archived at ICPSR, can help early-career faculty and researchers maximize their potential for publication and improve their mentorship of students. 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.